You share 60% of your genes with a banana, but not how you think

You are not 60% banana, but you do share 60% of your genes with one. The viral line is almost entirely wrong when taken literally. What researchers actually found is about 50 to 60 percent of human genes have recognizable counterparts in bananas handling basic cell functions like energy production and DNA repair. Those shared genes are only about 1% of total DNA, and their sequences are not 60% identical, they are distant cousins doing housekeeping jobs. The 60% figure measures gene orthology, recognizable counterparts, rather than identical sequences. We are family, not fruit.