出典:Wikipedia
出典:『Wikipedia』 (2011/03/05 00:16 UTC 版)
Functional divergence is the process by which genes, after gene duplication, shift in function from an ancestral function. Functional divergence can result in either subfunctionalization, where a paralog specializes one of several ancestral functions, or neofunctionalization, where a totally new functional capability evolves. It is thought that this process of gene duplication and functional divergence is a major originator of molecular novelty and has produced the many large protein families that exist today .