Evolution From A Molecular Perspective Essay -- essays research papers

Evolution From A Molecular Perspective Introduction: Why globular evolution? Evolution has been a heavily debated issue since Charles Darwin first documented the theory in 1859. However, until just recently, adaptation at a molecular level has been overlooked except by the scientific world. Now with the help of modern technology, the protein sequences of nearly every known living thing have either been established or are in the process of establishment, and are widely accessible via the internet. With the knowledge of these sequences, one can actually look at several organisms genetic codes and point out the similarities. Entire genomes of creatures have been sequenced, and the human genome project is well underway and ahead of schedule. With this new knowledge comes worries, for humans, however. What if the information stored in our genes was available to the public? Would insurance companies and employers base their selections on these traits? Also, with the total knowledge of every sequence of every amino acid chain in a person's genome, couldn't a laboratory perceivably reconstruct an exact copy of, or clone, that person? These are all issues that will have to be dealt with in the near future, but for now we need only concern ourselves with the objective observation of these proteins in our attempt to explain our ever mysterious origin. As humans, we are the first creatures to question exactly where we came from and how we got here. Some cling to religious creationism as a means, while others embrace the evolutionary theory. As of now, and possibly forever, neither can be proven to be absolute truth with hard facts, and both have their opposing arguments. The point of this paper being composed is not to attempt to abolish the creationist view, a feat that at this point seems impossible, but merely to educate those seeking to unravel the mystery of our forthcoming by pointing out facts that exist in the modern world and that can be quite easily and independently researched. It is conceivable that the two ideas, creationism and evolutionism, can exist symbiotica lly due to the fact that both views have very good points. Hemoglobin: Comparisons between species Of all the proteins in living things, hemoglobin is "the second most interesting substance in the world," as American bioche... ...FHDHPETLDRFDKFKGLK--TEPDMKGSEDLKKHGQTVLTALGAQ--LKKKG 6. ---- TEWEHVNKVWAVVEPDIPAVG--LAILLRLFKEHKETKDLFPKFKEI---PVQQLGNNEDLRKHGVTVLRALGNI-- LKQKG 1. Human Man 2. Cow 3. Sperm Whale 4. Platypus 5. Chicken 6. Shark Table 1.3 Sequence comparisons of globin (information gathered from Hemoglobin and from "Genbank") 1 25 50 75 80 MYOGLOBIN (part two) 1. HHEAEIKPLAQSHATKHKIP--VKYLEFISECIIQVLQSKHPGDFGA--DAQGAMNKALELFRKDMASNYKELG-- FQG 2. HHEAEVKHLAESHANKHKVP--IKYLEFISDAIIHVLHAKHPSNFAA-- DAQGAMNKALELFRKDMASNYKELG--FQG 3. HHEAELKPLAQSHATKHKIP-- IKYLEFISEAIIKVLHSRHPGDFGA--DAQGAMNKALELFRKDIAAKYKELG--YQG 4. QHEAELKPLAQSHATKHKIS--IKFLEYISEAIIHVLQSKHSADFGA--DAQAAMGKALELFRNDMAAKYKEFG--FQG 5. HHEADLKPLAQTHATKHKIP--VKYLEFISEVIIKVIAEKHAADFGA--DSQAAMKKALELFRDDMASKYKEFG-- FQG 6. KHSTNVKELADTHINKHKIP--PKNFVLITNIAVKVLTEMYPSDMIG-- PMQESFSKVFTVICSDLETLYKEAD--FQG 1. Human Man 2. Cow 3. Sperm Whale 4. Platypus 5. Chicken 6. Shark