| − | '''Pseudogenes''' are genes present in an organism's [[genome]] that have lost the ability to code for proteins due to mutation. <ref name=petrov>Petrov, D.A, Hartl, D.L. (2000). Pseudogene evolution and natural selection for a compact genome. The American Genetic Association 91:221-227. [http://www.stanford.edu/group/petrov/research/16.pdf]</ref> They were first identified and dubbed in the late 1970s when researchers began finding non-coding regions in some organisms that were similar to actual coding genes in other organisms. <ref name=sciam>Gerstein, M, Zheng, D. (2006). The real life of pseudogenes. Scientific American 95:48-55. [http://papers.gersteinlab.org/e-print/sciam2/preprint.pdf]</ref> So far an estimated 19,000 pseudogenes have been identified in the human genome, this is almost equal to the total number of coding genes (21,000). <ref name=sciam /> Humans have many pseudogenes including [[L-gulonolactone oxidase]] which is used to synthesize vitamin c. Research reports that this gene was inactivated in the common ancestor of all [[simians]]. <ref>http://www.cast.uark.edu/local/icaes/conferences/wburg/posters/kmilton/kmilton.html</ref> | + | '''Pseudogenes''' are [[gene]]s present in an organism's [[genome]] that have lost the ability to code for [[protein]]s due to [[mutation]]. <ref name=petrov>Petrov, D.A, Hartl, D.L. (2000). Pseudogene evolution and natural selection for a compact genome. The American Genetic Association 91:221-227. [http://www.stanford.edu/group/petrov/research/16.pdf]</ref> They were first identified and dubbed in the late 1970s when researchers began finding non-coding regions in some organisms that were similar to actual coding genes in other organisms. <ref name=sciam>Gerstein, M, Zheng, D. (2006). The real life of pseudogenes. Scientific American 95:48-55. [http://papers.gersteinlab.org/e-print/sciam2/preprint.pdf]</ref> So far an estimated 19,000 pseudogenes have been identified in the human genome, this is almost equal to the total number of coding genes (21,000). <ref name=sciam /> Humans have many pseudogenes including [[L-gulonolactone oxidase]] which is used to synthesize vitamin c. Research reports that this gene was inactivated in the common ancestor of all [[simians]]. <ref>http://www.cast.uark.edu/local/icaes/conferences/wburg/posters/kmilton/kmilton.html</ref> |