Scientists from The Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, recently discovered that specific DNA sequences, once dismissed as junk have now been found to play an active role in controlling how other genes are turned on or off, especially during early human development.
These sequences were found to have originated from long-extinct viruses which have been found to act like genetic switches.
The fact that ancient viruses have evolved into a eternal, operating component of our DNA considerably blurs the lines between human and foreign. It illustrates how nature could be much more innovative than we could possibly imagine!
It’s so interesting to know that something we thought was “junk” in our DNA actually has such an important role. It’s surprising how even ancient viruses that once affected us are now a part of how we develop. Just shows how little we still know about our own bodies.