Part Human, Part Plant?

            Although we all present the physical characteristics of humans, a new study has shown that human DNA may be composed of over 145 genes that originated from organisms such as plants and bacteria. Horizontal gene transfer, is a way in which bacteria exchange genetic information with neighboring microorganisms. This is commonly used to allow organisms to acquire resistance. Although this concept is not fairly new, studies reveal that this mechanism may have played a role in human evolution. The article illustrates that while many believe the tree of life is clear and displays the lineages of organisms through generations, it may be much more messy and tangled than we originally believed.

            Biologists from the University of Cambridge sequenced the genomes of 40 different organisms and species, and compared their DNA to that of humans. One hundred and forty five genes are believed to have originated from simpler bacteria's, with seventeen genes that may have been transferred through horizontal gene transfer. The researchers have identified the functions of these genes in our bodies, but they are still investigating the time period in which these genes may have been transferred and the circumstances which may have lead to this.

            This discovery can change everything we believe to know about evolution. The origin of man is often debated in the scientific community, and these studies can provide us with a clue as to where humans have developed from. The article shows that there are many who believe in an alternative explanation for these genes. One possibility suggested by Johnathan Eisen, microbiologist from UC Davis, is that while horizontal gene transfer is a possibility, it is also possible that these genes were passed through by a distant relative that was lost in some generations.

Original Article: http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2015/03/humans-may-harbor-more-100-genes-other-organisms

Secondary Article: http://amrls.cvm.msu.edu/microbiology/molecular-basis-for-antimicrobial-resistance/acquired-resistance/acquisition-of-antimicrobial-resistance-via-horizontal-gene-transfer