EVOLUTION
The idea that organisms adapt their features/behaviors to better their survival and reproduction, to let their future generations to inherit traits are explored through cladistics, Genetics, and speciation.
Key Concepts and TermsCladogram: a branching diagram showing the similarities among species, lineages, and ancestors, either direct, or common.
Taxonomy: The science of defining and naming groups of biological organisms on the basis of shared characteristics listed under Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. Direct Ancestor: An organism that is directly related by heredity, like child-parent. But child-cousin wouldn't be a direct connection. Common Ancestor: a group of organisms share common descent. Phenotype: an organism's expressed physical traits, through its genes, which could include color, height, size, shape, and behavior. |
Application to BiologyThe cladogram is used to classify the hardware. Taxonomy comes to play in the naming of the species in binomial nomenclature, of Genus species, and the description of the 6 families mentioned in the story below. The direct and common ancestor are shown within the cladogram by the points the lines connect. The phenotype was the characteristic used to classify the hardware.
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Key Concepts and TermsAllele: a given gene .
Homozygous: When an individual has two of the same allele. Heterozygous: When an individual has two different alleles. PCR: The method of copying DNA, through unraveling and separating the template DNA, using a polymerase bind that attaches to the "open" DNA by creating the opposite base pair to fit the A(denine)-T(hymine) G(uanine)-C(ytosine), then adding primers to "target a specific area of DNA, and adding nucleotide , like the A-T G-C bases, and a buffer to help with the binding reaction. Gel Electrophoresis: a method that separates DNA "chunks" by size measured in bp length, or base pair length. The smaller DNA "chunks" will travel faster, a greater distance, toward the bottom. The top of the set-up has the top of the gel set up with a positive charge as the bottom will be the negative. Since DNA has a mainly negative charge, due to its phosphate backbone, it will be attracted to the bottom (-ve). Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium: (p2+2pq+q2=1.0 )The amount of expected organisms in a population with these calculated genetic frequencies to have it in reality. If this is the case, no change has caused these numeric factors to differ, meaning evolution did not occur. But if there is a change it shows that the system had undergone evolution. Pipette: a laboratory tool used to specifically carry a certain amount of liquid and dispense it, which can be measured in microlitlers, or one millionth of a liter, μL. Micro-centrifuge: a rotating machine that uses the centrifugal "force" to separate materials of different densities in a solution. Sterile Technique: Strategies used to reduce contamination like wearing gloves, reducing exposure to air, etc. DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid; self-replicating genetic material carried in a ll living organisms, in chromosomes, that carries information, influencing the phenotype and phenotype of an organism. Alu Repeat: a certain base-pair sequence in the DNA that can reveal where one is from. This fall under non coding or "junk" DNA. |
Application to BiologyHomozygiety and Heterozygiety is described in the "Analysis" section. Homozygiety as +/+ or -/- is expressed as having both 715bp or 415 bp under gel electrophoresis. Heterozygiety is the expression of both. Since this is an inherited feature this would mean one's presence in the Alu repeat is hereditarily given by you parents. The Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium. was used in comparing the original data set change to the predicted values showing that evolution had occurred. The PCR process was used in the experiment in an attempt to replicate the genes. Pipettes and micro-centrifuges were used to transport the different reactants, and give a thorough and standardized mixing of the contents. Sterile technique was mentioned in the paper below as a critical source for error.
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