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I've been reading a bit about "junk DNA" and how much of our genome consists of this "non coding DNA" in comparison to "coding DNA".

I'm just an interested layperson but I thought all combinations of three base pairs encoded one amino acid, with some amino acids being encoded by more than one combination of base pairs.

But if that were true then all of our DNA would encode something.

Or if only a tiny percentage of our DNA is "coding" that would mean that the vast majority of possible combinations of three base pairs don't represent any amino acid.

Or it could mean that there are a small number of "meaningless" combinations of three base pairs, but that those combinations are vastly overrepresented in our genome.

Which is correct? What am I missing?

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    $\begingroup$ Would anyone like to add junk-dna and/or noncoding-dna (or should that be non-coding-dna tags? I barely have enough rep here to breathe (-: $\endgroup$ Sep 7, 2012 at 10:42
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    $\begingroup$ Wikipedia has a well-written page on the genetic code with tables and pictures showing all the possible triplets and their meaning! $\endgroup$
    – nico
    Sep 7, 2012 at 11:06
  • $\begingroup$ @Hippietrail To the meta!!!! $\endgroup$
    – bobthejoe
    Sep 7, 2012 at 18:28

3 Answers 3

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You are correct in thinking that any sequence of bases corresponds, via the genetic code, to a sequence of amino acids. However not all stretches of DNA are actually transcribed into mRNA for translation into proteins. For this to happen the stretch of DNA requires (DNA-encoded) elements to promote and regulate the transcription and translation processes, and this, very broadly, is what defines a gene: a segment of DNA which has the required components to direct the synthesis of a protein (or in some cases an RNA that will not be translated into a protein). The segments of DNA that correspond to mRNA for proteins and to other RNA molecules are referred to as coding sequences.

Now, I've omitted lots of details here: some genes encode RNA molecules, such as ribosomal RNAs, which are not translated into proteins; eukaryotic genes include stretches of sequence (called introns) that are spliced out of the transcript before the mRNA>protein step. The original definition (if there ever was a definition) of "junk" DNA included these introns, as well as regions of DNA lying outside the coding sequences. We now know that there is useful information stored in much of this DNA, even though it doesn't code for anything directly via the genetic code.

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  • $\begingroup$ Hmm @DanielStandage 's answer got more votes but AlanBoyd your answer here answers my actual question. Both answers are full of interesting stuff but this is the one I'm accepting. $\endgroup$ Sep 7, 2012 at 18:39
  • $\begingroup$ What "useful information" it could be? $\endgroup$
    – Anixx
    Nov 5, 2017 at 21:29
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You bring up a good point. "Coding" is a term that obviously carries some historical baggage that is gradually becoming less and less relevant. "Coding DNA" has typically been used to refer to DNA that encodes one or more functional protein products, which are constructed from an mRNA intermediate. As we've been learning over the last several years (and as was confirmed by the recent release of 30+ coordinated, high-profile publications from the ENCODE project), DNA that is not "coding DNA" is not "junk" or "meaningless"--it simply does not, to our knowledge, encode a protein. There is still a lot to learn about what precisely the function and purpose of this DNA is, but we do know that a lot of it is transcribed into RNA and that a lot of it has been associated with human disease.

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  • $\begingroup$ Yes I put "junk" in scare quotes precisely because it's not really junk. So while I knew it wasn't junk I wanted to know a bit more deeply what non-coding DNA is. It seems that the terms "coding" etc are ambiguous if my understanding is right. $\endgroup$ Sep 7, 2012 at 10:31
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    $\begingroup$ @hippietrail Agreed. A lot of what is sometimes called "non-coding DNA" indeed encodes something...just not a protein! We're definitely going to have to revisit our terminology as a community, but that is a slooooow process. Case in point: "junk DNA" is still commonly used. :-/ $\endgroup$ Sep 7, 2012 at 10:36
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    $\begingroup$ Coding is a term with a clear meaning in relation to DNA. It implies that that DNA encodes a protein (via mRNA). This is not historical "baggage", it is historical usage. Non-coding does not imply non-functional, nor did it historically, when all that was known was the genomes of bacteria. Promoters? Origins of replication? A misleading answer. $\endgroup$
    – David
    Nov 5, 2017 at 20:37
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DNA regions coding for proteins and RNA's comprise a rather small portion of total eucaryotic DNA.They are associated with special upstream signal sequences (promoters,enchancers,"boxes"etc) translation initiation triplets and translation termination signals ,which all together establish a reading frame provide information for the formation of the translation complex and the regulation of the whole translation process. Non coding DNA is by no means junk just because we do not understand it well enough yet.However it is known to play important roles in the formation of chromatin structure and its transformations which are crucial for exposing /hiding genes and their regulatory sequences to the proteins and cofactors working on them.They are characterized by large amounts of repetitive sequences and may also contain silenced ancient genes .

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  • $\begingroup$ It is better to add a citations to further cement your claims in your answer. $\endgroup$ Oct 31, 2017 at 23:45

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