Evolution Quote by Siddhartha Mukherjee
““Introns are not the exception in human genes; they are the rule. Human introns are often enormous-spanning several hundreds of thousands of bases of DNA. And genes themselves are separated from each other by long stretches of intervening DNA, called intergenic DNA. Intergenic DNA and introns-spaces between genes and stuffers within genes-are though to have sequences that allow genes to be regulated in context. To return to our analogy; these regions might be described as long ellipses scattered with occasional punctuation marks. The human genome can thus be visualized as: This…is……the…(...)...s...truc...ture…of…your…gen...om...e; The words represent genes. The long ellipses between the words represent the stretches of intergenic DNA. The shorter ellipses within the words (gen...ome...e) are introns. The parentheses and semicolons-punctuation marks-are regions of DNA that regulate genes.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Gene: An Intimate History, 2016
Most DNA between genes consists of introns and intergenic regions, which act as regulatory “ellipses” shaping gene expression.
In simple terms: DNA has large non‑coding stretches that regulate genes.
Key Takeaway
Study non‑coding DNA for its regulatory roles.
Themes
genetics
biology
regulation
evolution
Mood
analytical
educational
Type
explanatory
scientific
When to use this quote
- research labs
- genome editing
- education
- medical diagnostics
Key Concepts
non‑coding DNA
genomic architecture
Questions to Reflect On
- How might non‑coding DNA influence disease?
- What tools can map regulatory regions?
A Different Perspective
Complex interactions are not fully understood yet.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
