Josyvan , 7/9/2007
scientists,Evolution,Determining,Life,OriginsEvolution of Air-Breathing OrganismsBoth the lung structure of air-breathing organisms and the swim bladders of most modern fishes evolved from paired air sacs of primitive bony fishes. In the
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
scientists,Evolution,Direct,ObservationFruit Fly Laying EggThe small vinegar flies of the family Drosophilidae, commonly called fruit flies, have been exceptionally useful in scientific research. Their short reproductive cycle (a
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
scientists,Evolution,Molecular,SimilaritiesDNA MoleculeA DNA molecule consists of a ladder, formed of sugars and phosphates, and four nucleotide bases: adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). The genetic code is
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
scientists,Evolution,Anatomical,SimilaritiesAnalogous and Homologous StructuresStructures that are similar due to evolutionary origin, such as the forearm bones of humans, birds, porpoises, and elephants, are called homologous.
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
scientists,Evolution,Distribution,SpeciesOstrichesThe distribution of the world’s flightless birds, called ratites, is indicative of the shifting of continents in the Earth’s distant past. Ratites evolved on a landmass
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
scientists,Evolution,FossilsMidge Fly Caught in AmberPaleontologists can learn about prehistoric life by studying the remains of ancient insects, such as this midge fly, trapped in tree resin when they were alive. The
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
Species do not change overnight, or even in the course of one lifetime. Rather, evolutionary change usually occurs in tiny, almost imperceptible increments over the course of thousands of
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
Scientists initially made cloned cells in the laboratory by letting a single cell divide into a population of genetically identical cells. In this process scientists put the original cell in a
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
Bacterial cells often can survive by exchanging DNA with other organisms and acquiring new capacities, such as resistance to an antibiotic intended to kill them. The simplest method of DNA
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
In response to limited nutrients or other harsh conditions, many bacteria survive by forming spores that resist the environmental stress. Spores preserve the bacterial DNA and remain alive but
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
The simplest sort of bacterial reproduction is by binary fission (splitting in two). The bacterial cell first grows to about twice its initial size. Toward the end of that growth, the cell
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
Bacteria reproduce very rapidly. Replication in some kinds of bacteria takes only about 15 minutes under optimal conditions. One bacterial cell can become two in 15 minutes, four in 30 minutes,
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
All organisms have some capacity to adapt to environmental stress, but the extent of this adaptive capacity varies widely. Heat, cold, high pressure, and acid or alkaline conditions can all
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
The metabolic activities that enable the cell to function occur in two ways: anabolism and catabolism. Simply put, anabolism is the manufacture of complex molecules from simple ones, and
Josyvan , 7/9/2007
Bacterial cells, like all cells, require nutrients to carry out their work. These nutrients must be water soluble to enter through pores in the cell wall and pass through the cell membrane into