Question: Why is the chemical structure of a potato so unique?

Benjamin Hall answered on 17 Jun 2013:

Perhaps I’ve been less clear than I could have been with the information in my profile…

I don’t look at the chemical structure of potatoes. I’m interested in the structures of small molecules that the potato produces, as well as molecules produced by a bug that attacks them.

And they’re far from unique! For example, the potato protein I’m currently focusing on is 99% identical to a tomato protein and about 97% identical to a tobacco protein. This is because these proteins evolved before potatoes, tomatoes and tobacco split apart from each other during evolution.