Why might the cricket genome have 11 times as many base pairs as that of Drosophila melanogaster?
A) The two insect species evolved at very different geologic eras.
B) Crickets have higher gene density.
C) Drosophila are more complex organisms.
D) Crickets must have more noncoding DNA.
E) Crickets must make many more proteins.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The question specifically asks about the number of base pairs in the genome, so A and C are not relevant. It is unlikely that crickets have higher gene density than Drosophila, so B can be eliminated. E is also unlikely as the number of proteins produced by an organism is not directly related to its genome size. Therefore, the most likely explanation is that crickets have more noncoding DNA, which contributes to their larger genome size.

Why Might the Cricket Genome Have 11 Times as Many