SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ANIMAL DNA AND PLANT DNA
A diagram of the shape of DNA.
There are a few differences between plants and animals. However, at the chemical level, the cells of all animals and plants contain DNA in the same shape – the famous “double helix” that looks like a twisted ladder. Both Animal DNA and Plant DNA molecules are made from the same four chemical building blocks – called nucleotides.
Differences between animal dna and plant dna
Molecular structure of Cytochrome C.
The difference between Animal DNA and Plant DNA is how the four nucleotides in DNA are arranged. It’s their sequence that determines which proteins will be made. The way the nucleotides are arranged, and the information they encode, decides whether the organism will produce scales or leaves – legs or a stalk.
Research shows that plants and animals may produce some proteins in common. For example, a protein called Cytochrome C. As the DNA copying process is imperfect and because of mistakes accumulated over time, Cytochrome C is slightly different in various creatures. The gene regions that specify the amino acid sequence in human Cytochrome C are more similar to those in another mammal like a rabbit, and less similar to a more distant creature, like a sunflower.
In addition, there are differences in the size of the genomes as plants tend to have larger genomes and are often polyploid. Ploidy refers to the basic number of unique chromosomes in the genome. Every species has a characteristic number of chromosomes, called the chromosome number. Animals tend to have more chromosomes while plants have fewer.
Lastly, at a more detailed level, there can be certain subtle differences. The genes encoded by DNA can be regulated by chemical modifications such as methylation. The specific modifications can vary from tissue to tissue within the same animal or from organism to organism. Some animals, such as a nematode worm known as Caenorhabditis elegans, do not seem to have DNA methylation. Differences in DNA methylation patterns are not specifically attributable to differences between animals and plants: variations also occur in different types of animals or even in different tissues within the same animal.
Research shows that plants and animals may produce some proteins in common. For example, a protein called Cytochrome C. As the DNA copying process is imperfect and because of mistakes accumulated over time, Cytochrome C is slightly different in various creatures. The gene regions that specify the amino acid sequence in human Cytochrome C are more similar to those in another mammal like a rabbit, and less similar to a more distant creature, like a sunflower.
In addition, there are differences in the size of the genomes as plants tend to have larger genomes and are often polyploid. Ploidy refers to the basic number of unique chromosomes in the genome. Every species has a characteristic number of chromosomes, called the chromosome number. Animals tend to have more chromosomes while plants have fewer.
Lastly, at a more detailed level, there can be certain subtle differences. The genes encoded by DNA can be regulated by chemical modifications such as methylation. The specific modifications can vary from tissue to tissue within the same animal or from organism to organism. Some animals, such as a nematode worm known as Caenorhabditis elegans, do not seem to have DNA methylation. Differences in DNA methylation patterns are not specifically attributable to differences between animals and plants: variations also occur in different types of animals or even in different tissues within the same animal.
Sources:
http://earthsky.org/?p=433 https://www.hhmi.org/askascientist/answers/is_there_any_difference_between_plant_and_animal_dna_for_example_in_structure_chemistry_function.html
http://earthsky.org/?p=433 https://www.hhmi.org/askascientist/answers/is_there_any_difference_between_plant_and_animal_dna_for_example_in_structure_chemistry_function.html