Question

Are exons junk DNA?

Answer 1

DNA

1. Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA is a polymer of nucleotides. It carries the genetic information of an organism.
2. DNA can be divided into two regions. The coding sequences of a gene are known as ‘exons’. They are interrupted by non-coding sequences called ‘introns’.
3. Exons are not called junk DNA. They contain nucleotide sequences (genetic code) that are translated into proteins.
4. They are found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. These sequences are highly conserved.
5. During the processing of pre-mRNA the exons are spliced together, whereas, the introns are removed.
6. Introns are called junk DNA as it is non-coding DNA that does not code for any amino acids.
7. They are found in eukaryotes and located in between two exons. These sequences are less conserved.