Quickcheck: Do humans share 60% of our DNA with bananas?

THE idea that a human and a fruit could have anything in common might seem absurd at first.

One hangs from a tree, while the other has skin, thoughts, and emotions. They seem completely different in terms of intelligence, anatomy, and species.

Yet scientists have apparently discovered an intriguing link between the DNA of the two.

Is it true that you and I share the same DNA as a banana?

Verdict:

TRUE

Humans and bananas do share DNA, but not 70% as commonly claimed.

Every living thing has a built-in instruction manual called a genome.

Imagine it as a recipe book made of DNA that tells your body how to build and operate itself.

And what’s cooking? Proteins, the components that make you who you are.

They determine your eye colour, the power of your immune system, help you grow and essentially keep you alive.

To break it down further, think of DNA as the blueprint of a house, whilst proteins are the finished product such as the walls, plumbing and furniture.

Genetics expert Dr Brody explains that human DNA is like a ranch-style house, whilst banana DNA is more like a colonial home.

They look different, but beneath the surface, they share many of the same genes responsible for cell growth, DNA replication and survival.

So, how much DNA do we share with bananas? Roughly 60% of our genes.

However, since genes make up only a small portion of our total DNA, this similarity represents about 1–2% of the entire human genome, particularly in genes involved in energy production and cell repair.

This overlap exists because many essential biological processes such as protein synthesis, cell division, energy metabolism and DNA repair are common across nearly all forms of life.

These so-called housekeeping genes, which have been preserved across billions of years of evolution, demonstrate the deep evolutionary connections that all life on Earth shares.

Moreover, scientists can learn more about how our bodies work and even create new medical advancements by examining the DNA that we share with other organisms.

No, you’re not turning into a banana, but you and the famous fruit have more in common than you were aware of.

References:

1. https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/how_genetically_related_are_we_to_bananas

2. https://sanogenetics.com/blog/are-we-genetically-similar-to-bananas-and-why-is-this-important-for-research-in-disease

3. https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/genetic/people-bananas-share-dna.htm

4. https://seedscientific.com/how-much-dna-do-we-share-with-bananas/

5. https://sanogenetics.com/blog/are-we-genetically-similar-to-bananas-and-why-is-this-important-for-research-in-disease