Genes

The human genome has provided us with a wealth of information about why we develop the way we do, as well as information about how and why some diseases emerge and how to treat them. Genetics is a fascinating area of biology. Humans are thought to have between 20,000 and 25,000 genes. On the other hand, a tomato has about 31,760 genes. So why does it appear like a tomato has a more complex genetic makeup than a person?

It turns out that humans have around the same number of genes as nematode worms. The general belief in the past was that an organism should have more genes the more complex it is, however this is plainly not true.

We are now thinking about the possibility that a tomato just has more genes as a result of its evolutionary history. They diverged in various ways from an early progenitor, which resulted in the development of a variety of genes over time that were not necessarily required for anything. Although more effective, a human's genes are nonetheless more complex. They perform better, so we can get by with less. Yet, all of this is still just conjecture, and researchers are still trying to figure out why seemingly basic species have complicated genetic makeups.