Infographic illustration depicting how genetically similar humans are to other life forms. Chimpanzees are 98.8% genetically similar to humans, making them one of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. Bananas and fruit flies are 60% genetically similar to humans, we share many of the same essential needs to sustain life, such as the need for oxygen, these similarities are reflected in our genetics. Being genetically similar to something is different than sharing the same DNA. That?檚 because genes (the part of DNA responsible for making protein) only account for up to 2% of ones DNA, while the rest of the genome is made up of non-coding DNA. Hence, while a banana is 60% genetically similar to humans, only 1.2% of our DNA is shared.