It appears as if about 5000 functional genes is the minimum genome size necessary for life of a prokaryote.

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The smallest genomes found in free-living prokaryotes contain about 1.3 million base pairs, coding for approximately 1,350 genes, which is below the 5000 genes threshold. For example, the bacterium *Mycoplasma genitalium* has one of the smallest known genomes of any free-living organism, which suggests that the minimum genome size necessary for life can be significantly less than 5000 genes.

It Appears as If About 5000 Functional Genes Is the Minimum