Humans and chimps look and behave differently but are genetically so similar because of their differences in _____ rather than in genome sequence.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

While humans and chimps share about 98% of their DNA sequence, their differences in physical and behavioral traits arise due to differences in how those genes are expressed, or turned on and off, rather than in actual mutations in the DNA sequence itself. This is known as gene expression, and small differences in expression can have significant impacts on the phenotype, or observable characteristics, of an organism. MtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) is a type of genetic material separate from the main DNA sequence that codes for certain cellular functions, but it is not responsible for the differences in phenotype between humans and chimps.

Humans and Chimps Look and Behave Differently but Are Genetically