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	: '''How much human DNA builds our body?'''		: '''How much human DNA builds our body?'''

	: Incorporation of genetic material happened more than once. When the human genome was [[wikipedia:DNA_sequencing\|sequenced]] on a [[wikipedia:Human_Genome_Project\|great scale]], only 1.4% has been found out to encode our ''building material'' - the proteins - the rest appeared to be "junk" DNA. Today we know that 8.5% are old retroviruses (HERVs). -- This brings Agent Smith from the movie Matrix into mind when he [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Na9-jV_OJI classified humans as a virus] because of certain similarities: according to him humans replicated unchecked, consume all resources, and spread to a new area (host) when one area ran out of resources. Now he would have a genetic proof you might think: our DNA is more "virus" than "human". -- Well, the old retroviruses are almost all defective so they don't matter much. Also, noncoding RNA and regulatory sequences - ''tools'' and ''building instructions'' - have been identified from the junk by now. So, yes, no need to panic, we can ~~have~~ have a calm sleep tonight.		: Incorporation of genetic material happened more than once. When the human genome was [[wikipedia:DNA_sequencing\|sequenced]] on a [[wikipedia:Human_Genome_Project\|great scale]], only 1.4% has been found out to encode our ''building material'' - the proteins - the rest appeared to be "junk" DNA. Today we know that 8.5% are old retroviruses (HERVs). -- This brings Agent Smith from the movie Matrix into mind when he [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Na9-jV_OJI classified humans as a virus] because of certain similarities: according to him humans replicated unchecked, consume all resources, and spread to a new area (host) when one area ran out of resources. Now he would have a genetic proof you might think: our DNA is more "virus" than "human". -- Well, the old retroviruses are almost all defective so they don't matter much. Also, noncoding but function holding RNA and regulatory sequences - ''tools'' and ''building instructions'' - have been identified from the junk by now. So, yes, no need to panic, we can have a calm sleep tonight.