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Genome Size Chart

Organism's Genus and Species Estimated Size Estimated Gene Number Average Gene Density Chromosome Number
Homo sapiens (human) 2,900 million bases ~30,000 1 gene per 100,000 bases 46
Rattus novegicus (rat) 2,750 million bases ~30,000 1 gene per 100,000 bases 42
Mus musculus (mouse) 2,500 million bases ~30,000 1 gene per 100,000 bases 40
Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) 180 million bases 13,600 1 gene per 9,000 bases 8
Arabidopsis thaliana (plant) 125 million bases 25,500 1 gene per 4,000 bases 10
Caenorhabditis elegans (roundworm) 97 million bases 19,100 1 gene per 5,000 bases 12
Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) 12 million bases 6,300 1 gene per 2,000 bases 32
Escherichia coli (bacteria) 4.7 million bases 3,200 1 gene per 1,400 bases 1
H. influenzae (bacteria) 1.8 million bases 1,700 1 gene per 1,000 bases 1

The table shows the relative size of the genomes, number of genes, and number of chromosomes for a variety of different organisms. Based on what we know regarding the genetic code of all living things, how does the genetic code of a eukaryote organism compare to that of a prokaryote organism?
Responses
A Prokaryote organisms have much simpler DNA, containing fewer than four nitrogen bases.Prokaryote organisms have much simpler DNA, containing fewer than four nitrogen bases.
B Eukaryote organisms have a larger genome containing a more complex set of nitrogen bases.Eukaryote organisms have a larger genome containing a more complex set of nitrogen bases.
C Both types of organisms contain exactly the same four nitrogen bases, but in different sequences and numbers.Both types of organisms contain exactly the same four nitrogen bases, but in different sequences and numbers.
D Both types of organisms contain exactly the same four nitrogen bases, in the exact sequences, but in varying numbers.

1 answer

The correct response is:

C. Both types of organisms contain exactly the same four nitrogen bases, but in different sequences and numbers.

Both prokaryotes (such as bacteria) and eukaryotes (such as humans, plants, and fungi) utilize the same four nitrogen bases—adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G)—to build their genetic code. The difference lies in the complexity of their genomes, the number of genes, and the organization of their DNA. Eukaryotic genomes tend to be larger and more complex than prokaryotic genomes, which are generally simpler and smaller.