The Evolution of Genome Structure

The Evolution of Genome Structure

Genomes are often referred to as the “operating system” of living cells and organisms. Analogous to the operating system of a computer or a smart phone, the architecture and the layout of the components within the genome are crucial to the coordination of gene expression and regulation. The genome structures of all living organisms have constantly been under modification over the course of evolution, through both small-scale (base substitutions, indels) and large-scale events (genome rearrangements, duplications). By studying the impact of these changes, we have come to understand the functional importance of various genetic elements as well as the regulatory hierarchy among these elements.