The mystery of where these orphan genes came from has puzzled scientists for decades. But in the past few years, a once-heretical explanation has quickly gained momentum - that many of these orphans arose out of so-called junk DNA, or non-coding DNA, the mysterious stretches of DNA between genes. "Genetic function somehow springs into existence," said David Begun, a biologist at the University of California, Davis.
New research shows our DNA is absolutely loaded with... NOTHING. 98 percent of our DNA plays no role in our development. But as Trace learns, the findings may not be so black and white.