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Selfish DNA: the ultimate parasite.

L E Orgel·F H Crick
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Abstract

The DNA of higher organisms usually falls into two classes, one specific and the other comparatively nonspecific. It seems plausible that most of the latter originates by the spreading of sequences which had little or no effect on the phenotype. We examine this idea from the point of view of the natural selection of preferred replicators within the genome.

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AnimalsBase SequenceBiological EvolutionDNADNA ReplicationEnergy MetabolismGenesGenes, RegulatorHumansPhenotypeRNA, Heterogeneous NuclearRNA, MessengerSelection, GeneticTime FactorsJournal Article

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L E Orgel, F H Crick. 1980-04-17. Selfish DNA: the ultimate parasite.. https://doi.org/10.1038/284604a0

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