Byproducts of `Junk DNA´ Implicated in Cancer Spread
(WorldNews Health)

The more scientists explore so-called `junk` DNA, the less the label seems to fit. Only an estimated two percent of the human genome encodes for functional proteins that carry out normal biological processes. The remaining approximately 98 percent-the `junk DNA`-has for many years been considered a useless artifact. Some junk DNA has been shown to be transcribed into RNA molecules that support cellular functions, including transfer RNAs (tRNAS) and microRNAs (miRNAs), while the remaining noncoding RNA has continued to be considered nonfunctional `junk` RNA. Previous work by researchers at the University of California San Diego in Assistant...