Question

Bacteria and archaea typically have fewer than _____ genes while plants and animals typically have greater than _____ genes.

a) 1000, 10,000
b) 10,000, 100,000
c) 100,000, 1,000,000
d) 1,000,000, 10,000,000

Answer 1

The correct answer is (a) 1000, 10,000. Bacteria and archaea, which are prokaryotes, have simpler genomes with fewer genes, while eukaryotes like plants and animals have larger, more complex genomes with a greater number of genes.

Step-by-step explanation:

Bacteria and archaea typically have fewer than 1000 genes while plants and animals typically have greater than 10,000 genes. The correct answer is (a) 1000, 10,000. Bacteria and archaea are both prokaryotic domains, consisting of single-celled organisms without a nucleus. Bacterial cell walls contain peptidoglycan, while archaeal cell walls do not. Additionally, the environments they can inhabit differ, with archaea often being found in extreme environments. In contrast, eukaryotes like plants and animals have much more complex genomes. Early estimates suggested about 100,000 genes might make up these organisms, but modern understanding puts the figure lower, even though their genomes can still carry significantly more DNA than necessary to account for these genes. Therefore, when considering the complexity and number of genes, prokaryotic organisms have much smaller genomes compared to eukaryotic organisms.