Biology 3 Exploring Diversity

Study Notes

Subject: Biology 3 Exploring Diversity
Module Code: Module 4 (Evolutionary History and an Organism’s Genome)
Lesson Code: Lesson 4.1 (Deducing Information Present from an Organism’s Genome)
Duration: 60 minutes divided into 2 sessions

Evaluate the relationship between an organism's genome and its evolutionary history.
Utilize gene information to interpret evolutionary events.
Recognize the significance of molecular evidence in tracing evolutionary lineage.

The case of the Golden State Killer highlights the impact of DNA technology on solving crimes, leading to a conviction decades after initial offenses.
DNA databases have enhanced accuracy in criminal investigations and paternity testing, showcasing rapid, non-invasive methodologies.

Genomes consist of DNA sequences that provide instructions for vital functions, inherited from parents to offspring.
Evolution alters DNA sequences via mutations (deletions or insertions of nucleotides) and recombination (genomic restructuring).
Molecular sequences play a crucial role in tracing evolutionary histories and understanding organism relationships.

Molecular data enables comparison of relationships between distantly related organisms despite lacking shared morphological traits.
Genomic approaches aid in reconstructing phylogenetic trees, clarifying evolutionary relationships.

Conserved genes, which are critical for organismal development (e.g., ATP production), indicate shared ancestry among seemingly unrelated organisms.
The percentage of conserved genes assists in demonstrating evolutionary connections.

Access to genomic data in gene banks allows scientists to hypothesize relationships among organisms using unresolved phylogenetic trees.
Unrooted trees depict relationships without ancestry. Identifying an outgroup, an earlier related organism with homologous structures, helps create rooted, inferred trees.
Example: Identifying the baboon as an outgroup to resolve relationships among humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans enhances the understanding of their evolutionary pathways.

The exploration of molecular sequences is essential for making comparisons among species, illuminating evolutionary connections and ancestral lineages.