Giant Genome in a Tiny Plant: Scientists Baffled

Scientists discovered the Tmesipteris oblanceolata fern, a miniscule plant found in New Caledonia, has the largest known genome on Earth. This fern's genome is a staggering 50 times larger than a human's!

The Mystery of Immense Genomes:

• Previously, scientists linked complex organisms with larger genomes due to their need for more proteins.
• This theory was challenged by the discovery of large genomes in simpler animals like lungfish.
• The human genome only uses about 1.5% of its DNA for protein coding, with the rest having unknown functions or considered "junk DNA."

Plant Genomes and the Record Breaker:

• Some plants, like onions, have surprisingly large genomes.
• In 2010, the Paris japonica flower held the record for the largest genome with 148 billion DNA base pairs.
• The newly discovered Tmesipteris oblanceolata boasts an even larger genome at 160 billion base pairs.

Why Such Enormous Genomes?

• Scientists suspect the culprit might be the accumulation of virus-like DNA segments and genome duplications over time.
• The advantage or disadvantage of a massive genome remains unclear.
• It's theorized that very large genomes might become a burden in competitive environments.

Is This the Limit?

• The researchers believe Tmesipteris oblanceolata might be nearing the physical limit for genome size.
• Others argue with only a small fraction of plant genomes studied, there's a chance for even larger ones to be discovered.

This discovery challenges our understanding of genome size and function, urging further exploration into the mysteries of DNA.