AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -DNA transposons can be found in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The bacterial transposons belong to the DNA transposons and the Tn family, which are usually the carrier of additional genes for antibiotic resistance.

Detailed explanation-2: -Transposable elements (TEs) are segments of DNA able to move from one locus to another in a given genome and to replicate themselves in the process [1]. TEs are found in nearly all organisms and frequently constitute the major portion of the genome [2–6].

Detailed explanation-3: -Different classes of transposable elements are found in the genomes of different eukaryotic organisms (Figure 1). This graph shows the contribution of DNA transposons and retrotransposons in percentage relative to the total number of transposable elements in each species.

Detailed explanation-4: -Transposons were first discovered in corn (maize) during the 1940s and ‘50s by American scientist Barbara McClintock, whose work won her the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1983. Since McClintock’s discovery, three basic types of transposons have been identified.