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katt2002 t1_izrvnfw wrote

Reply to comment by the_master_command3r in How did viral DNA become part of the human genome? by emelrad12

what happens to the host after that? taking useless genetic information. won't the host DNA become longer overtime?

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CrateDane t1_izsv42c wrote

Yes, the host genome will grow with integrations like this. Genomes are often inflated due to integration of viral sequences and other selfish genetic elements. This helps explain the extreme variation in genome size among eukaryotes.

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