Transposable Elements: half your genome, hardly understood

Send us a textDid you know that about half your genome is made of small bits of DNA called transposable elements? These "genomic parasites" are not genes, and they are not there to help run your body... they are small selfish elements out only to replicate themselves. They can cut themselves out of your genome, duplicate and re-enter you genome... and they can disrupt things as they go. Some of them appear to be ancient viruses, now there almost like fossils, some are highly dynamic bits of D...