Which of the following statements about pseudogenes is true?
A) There often is little selective pressure to get rid of pseudogenes.
B) The sequences of a pseudogene and its functional counterpart must be very different.
C) In some gene families, pseudogenes outnumber functional genes.
D) Both a and b
E) Both a and c

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Option A is true because pseudogenes are non-functional copies of genes that have mutations that render them inactive. As they do not have any function, there is no selective pressure to keep them functional. Hence, they often persist in the genome even if they do not confer any biological advantage. 
Option C is also true as gene duplications can lead to the creation of multiple pseudogenes. As the number of gene copies in a family increases, so does the probability of mutations that might lead to the generation of pseudogenes. Therefore, in some gene families, pseudogenes may outnumber functional genes. Option B is false because pseudogenes are essentially non-functional copies of genes and often have a high degree of sequence similarity to their functional counterparts.

Which of the Following Statements About Pseudogenes Is True