Choose two themes of biology. In detail, define what each of these themes mean. Next, relate each theme to an example from the book Making of the Fittest, and explain exactly how each theme applies. Finally, pose a question for the next commenter relating to one of the two themes you chose (Yes that means if you reply first you get to do less work).
For obvious reasons, I will not allow you to use the biological theme of evolution.
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One theme in this book is heritable information, which is based on the idea that the continuity of life depends on the inheritance of biological information in DNA. Examples of this are seen in chapter 1 where Carroll talks about how DNA keeps a record of evolution within organisms. He says that the "unique DNA sequence...is a complete record of the present" but is also a "window into the...deep past"(33). This relates to the theme because in order for organisms to survive and reproduce, they need to pass on their favorable traits through their genes to their offspring.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme in this book in an organism's interaction with the environment, which is based on the idea that organisms have to exchange materials and energy with their surroundings. An example of this is with discussion of different skin colors in chapter 7. Carroll talks about how skin color depends on the area or region that humans live in. By having a certain skin color, humans are able to survive in their environment, allowing them to exchange materials with the world around them.
Where does Carroll use another example that relates to the theme of an organism's interaction with the environment?
Another example of interaction w/ the environment is the adaptions in Antarctic fish. The cooling of the Antarctic oceans in "the past 55 million years" (23) put selective pressure on the fish- an example of the abiotic environment affecting an organism.
ReplyDeleteUnity and diversity shows us that even with the great amount of diversity we see among species, there are many similarities. An example of this was the discussion of the pax6 eye-building gene on page 194. We can visibly see that a lot of animals have eyes. Their eyes may be very similar (like when comparing our eyes to a dog's eyes) or incredibly different (when our eyes are compared to the compound eyes of a fruit fly). However, when looking at the genetic code of the pax6 gene, we find that the coding behind our eyes and a fruit fly's are very similar. This shows us that even with the great diversity of eyes in nature, there are similarities in the genetic code that create unity.
Structure/function claims that "form and function are correlated at all levels of biological organization" (Campbell). Examples from the book include animals' uses of color. Carroll's example of black pigmentation in mice on p63 shows that natural selection acts on the mice depending on the relationship of color to habitat- dark mice are better able to survive on rocks than lighter mice. This shows that being able to have different levels of pigmentation serves the function of survival in various habitats.
What other functions could the coloring of an organism serve?