L5 homology

Concepts of Evolution and Homology

• Understanding evolution and how homology relates to it.

Chemistry Review

• Review of fundamental chemical principles relevant to biological sciences.

Building Blocks of Life

• Hierarchy of structural organization:

  • Atom

  • Molecule

  • Macromolecule

  • Organelle

  • Cell

  • Tissue

  • Organ

  • Organ System

  • Whole Organism

• Examples include: heart structure (right & left ventricles), blood vessels (veins, arteries, capillaries).

Page 5: Importance of Carbon

• Why is carbon crucial for life?

• Carbon's ability to form diverse compounds is foundational to biological molecules.

Page 6: Genetic Information Coding

• ATCG's and AUCG's:

  • Nucleotides are the building blocks of polymers (DNA/RNA)

  • Roles include storing information and performing complex functions in cells.

Page 7: Structure and Function of Biological Membranes

• Membrane Composition:

  • Atoms, molecules, and intermolecular interactions

  • Fatty acids form membranes that are impermeable to highly polar molecules and define cellular compartments.

Page 8: Polar vs. Nonpolar Molecules

• Hydrophobic Effect:

  • Interaction of nonpolar substances in aqueous environments.

  • Importance in the structure of biological membranes.

Page 9: Hydrophobic Effect Details

• The role of water in biological systems and the implications of hydrophobic interactions in cellular environments.

Page 10: Origins of Life

• Inquiry into how life originated on Earth.

Page 11: Biodiversity

• Exploration of how diverse life forms originated and the evidence supporting this.

Page 12: Commonalities in Life

• Examination of what is shared among all forms of life and how diversity emerges.

Page 13: Timeline of Life's Evolution

• Geological Time Scale:

  • 4 billion years ago: Formation of chemical building blocks.

  • 3-4 billion years ago: Emergence of simple cells.

  • 2.5 billion years ago: Introduction of complex organisms.

Page 14: Timeline in the History of Life

• Major Events:

  • Big Bang (12 billion years ago)

  • Formation of the solar system (4.6 billion years ago)

  • Various geological periods (e.g., Cambrian, Mesozoic)

  • Evolution of humans in the Quaternary Period.

Page 15: Chemical Building Blocks

• Inquiry into the origins of life's chemical building blocks and hypotheses regarding their creation.

Page 16: Stanley Miller's Experiment

• Experiment demonstrating the synthesis of amino acids from basic compounds in a primordial environment.

Page 17: Microfossils and Early Life

• Microfossils: Evidence of bacteria dating back 2,500-2,700 million years.

Page 18: Classification of Life

• Historical division of life into two groups and implications for evolutionary biology.

Page 19: Darwin's Contributions

• Common Ancestry and Evolution:

  • Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species" emphasized common ancestry as a basis for species variation.

Page 20: Shared Characteristics and DNA

• Relationships among species determined by genetic sequences and shared physical traits.

Page 21: Phylogenetic Trees

• Representation of evolutionary relationships, illustrating common ancestry among species.

Page 22: Understanding Phylogenetic Trees

• Basic principles for reading phylogenetic trees, including the concept of clades and evolutionary time.

Page 23: Rotating Branches in Phylogenetic Trees

• Flexibility of tree depiction with branches that can rotate at nodes without changing the relationships.

Page 24: Myth of the Evolutionary Ladder

• Clarification against misconceptions about higher vs. lower organisms; evolution through diversification rather than linear progression.

Page 25: Concept of Homology

• Homologous Structures:

  • Comparison of organs across species reflecting common ancestry.

Page 26: Examples of Homology

• Human arm, whale flipper, and bat wing show homologous structures despite different functions, emphasizing evolutionary relationships.

Page 27: Levels of Homology

• Levels of comparison:

  • Structural and functional adaptations reflecting evolutionary history.

Page 28: Analogy in Evolution

• Distinguishing between analogous structures (similar function, different origins) vs. homologous structures.

Page 29: Homology vs. Analogy

• Examination of whether specific structures, like butterfly wings and bird wings, are homologous.

Page 30: Evolutionary Timeline of Organ Systems

• Overview of when different parts of animals evolved across time.

Page 31: Smell Perception Mechanism

• Description of how molecules influence our sense of smell through receptor binding in the nasal cavity.

Page 32: Nasal Structures Evolution

• Evolution of Nasal Passages:

  • Tracing the evolution from early jawless fish to modern humans.

Page 33: Importance of Homologous Structures

• Understanding the evolutionary significance of common structures in different organisms.

Page 34: Relevance of Fruit Fly Research

• Contributions of Drosophila in understanding genetics and various diseases leading to multiple Nobel Prizes.

Page 35: Studying Model Organisms

• Importance of model organisms like yeast and fruit flies in biological research for insights into genetics and cellular processes.

Page 36: Comparing Homologies at Different Levels

• Importance of evaluating homology through various biological scales from genes to anatomical structures.

Page 37: Primate Tree of Life

• Classification within primates to illustrate evolutionary relationships and genetic hierarchies.

Page 38: Molecular Evidence in Evolution

• Statements about how molecules provide insight into evolutionary history.

Page 39: Genetic Similarity between Species

• Comparative analysis of insulin gene sequences across different species, showing degrees of similarity.

Gene Coding Relationships

• Genetic sequences serve as documents of evolutionary history, as illustrated in the examples provided.

Molecular Homology Analysis

• The study of DNA sequences to reveal common ancestry, using specific examples of gene similarities.

Natural Groups of Organisms

• Understanding relationships among organisms and genes based on evolutionary common ancestry.

Use of rRNA in Phylogenetics

• Carl Woese's Work:

  • Utilization of rRNA genes to determine evolutionary relationships among microbes.

The 5 Kingdom Scheme

• Historical classification of life forms into five kingdoms and its implications.

Tree of Life

• Current understanding of evolutionary relationships among organisms based on genetic sequencing.

Paradigm Shift in Classification

• Transitioning to a new view of classification based on DNA rather than morphology.

Eukarya Relationships

• Classification of life forms within the Eukarya domain, examining various groups of organisms.

DNA Sequencing and Tree of Life

• Findings from a study that sequenced DNA from numerous genera across all domains of life.

Modern Tree of Life View

• Shift from appearance-based taxonomy to DNA-based classifications in understanding life.

Lessons from the "Big Tree"

• Key takeaways from the tree of life: common ancestry, microbial diversity, and the need for natural taxonomy.

Life Origin Reflection

• Questions on the origin of viruses and their place within the evolutionary framework.