Transposons: Genes as parasites | Max-Planck-Gesellschaft https://www.mpg.de/12128789/genes-as-parasites
Parasites exist not only in the plant and animal kingdoms, they are also a part of us. Our genome contains myriad short stretches of DNA that propagate at the genome’s expense. For this reason, these transposons, as they are called, are also referred to as parasitic DNA. Oliver Weichenrieder from the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen wants to shed light on the processes by which transposons are copied – not only because they can cause disease, but also because they may be an important engine of evolution.
ultimate parasite” – a piece of RNA, pared down to the barest