2 Evidences and Processes of
Lesson Evolution
1
What I Need to Know
How do we define life? We simply describe life as easy as it is recognised to be
but often much harder to define it. Animals and Plants are organisms that we consider
to have life and what is common with these 2 is that both are made up of cells which
can be unicellular or multicellular depending to which descendant an organism belongs.
There are different characteristics of life and these are nutrition, reproduction, excretion,
growth, movement, respiration, and sensitivity. Several attempts have been made from
time to time to explain on the origin of the Earth and how life really began. As a result,
people have come up with different theories providing their own explanation on the
possible mechanism on the origin of life. This chapter is your introduction to a slice
through time. We begin with Earth‘s formation and move on to life‘s chemical origins
and the evolution of traits present in modern eukaryotes.
What Is It
Origin of the Universe and Earth
There were many theories inferred by different scientists on the origin of the
universe. Few of these are the Theory of Special Creation, Theory of Spontaneous
Generation, Theory of Biogenesis, Theory of Biochemical Evolution, Theory of
Panspermia , and Deep Sea hydrothermal vent theory. These theories may have or
may have not scientific basis.
Some believed that organisms were put to Earth by some divine forces while others
say that life did not originate from Earth but from other celestial bodies. Among the
scientists, the most accepted theory is that life came from lifeless matter. According to
the primordial soup theory proposed by Alexander Oparin and John Haldane, that life
started in a primordial soup of organic molecules. Some form of energy from lightning
combined with the chemicals in the atmosphere to make the amino acids (the building
block of proteins.
Studies of the modern universe allow astronomers and physicists to propose and
test ideas about its origin. According to the big bang theory the universe began in a
single instant, about 13 to 15 billion years ago. In that silent expansion, all existing
matter and energy suddenly appeared and exploded outward from a single point.
Simple elements such as hydrogen and helium formed within minutes. Then over
millions of years, gravity drew the gases together and they condensed to form giant
stars. The explosions of the early stars scattered heavier elements which formed into
galaxies. Five billion years ago, a cloud of dust and rocks (asteroids) orbited the star
which is known as the sun. When the asteroids collided with another asteroids, it
merged into bigger asteroids. The heavier these pre-planetary object became, the more
gravitational pull they exerted, and the more material they gathered. About 4.6 billion
years ago, this gradual build-up of materials had formed Earth and other planets of our
solar system.
What Is It
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The Common Ancestor of All Life
All living things are made up of cells. Some are unicellular and some are
multicellular. Unicellular organisms that are mostly known are paramecium, amoeba,
bacteria, and yeast. The multicellular cells include animal cells, plant cells, and the
human body and germ cells. Given what scientists know about relationships among
modern species. Most assume that this common ancestor was prokaryotic, meaning it
did not have a nucleus. There was a scarcity of oxygen during the early Earth so the
ancestral cell must also have been anaerobic meaning capable of living without oxygen.
What are the evidences to prove such statement? Looking for and finding signs
of early cells poses a challenge. Cells are microscopic and cannot be seen through our
naked eye and is difficult to fossilize. Furthermore, few ancient rocks that could hold
early fossils still exist. Tectonic plate movements have destroyed nearly all rocks older
than about 4 million years, most slightly younger rocks have been heated that destroy
traces of biological material. Structures formed by nonbiological mechanisms
sometimes resemble fossils. To avoid mistakes on accepting materials like genuine
fossils, scientists repeatedly analyse purported fossil finds and they often question one
another‘s conclusion.
The Oldest Fossil Cells
The divergence that separated the two prokaryotic domains, Bacteria and
Archaea, occurred very rarely in the history of life, and no fossils from before this
divergence have been discovered.
It has been studied that the first form of life is believed to have appeared 3.5
billion years ago. Palaeontologists are the scientists
who study fossils found microscopic living cells known
as microfossils in rocks that formed 3.5 billion years
ago after Earth cooled and solidified using
radioisotope dating (which uses radioactive Example of microfossils of sulphur-metabolizing cells in
3.4-billion-year-old rocks of Western Australia
materials such as the radioactive components of
potassium-argon). The microfossils‘ filaments found in Western Australia resemble
chains of modern photosynthetic bacteria and the rocks in which they occur are thought
to be remains of ancient stromatolites which are mounded, layered structure that forms
in shallow sunlit water when a mat of photosynthetic bacteria traps minerals and
sediment. These stromatolites increases in size over time as new layers form over the
old. These organisms have been so abundant 1.25 billion years ago and were common
worldwide.
Many types of bacteria carry out photosynthesis, but only one group,
cyanobacteria, do so by an oxygen-producing pathway. The microfossils of
cyanobacteria were among the easiest to recognize. The forms of these organisms
were remained the same and left chemical fossils in the form of broken products from
pigments. The first microfossil that showed remains of organisms with differences in
structure and characteristics was seen 1.5 billion years ago on the rocks. They are
bigger compared to bacteria and have internal membranes and thicker wall. These
findings marked the beginning of eukaryotic organisms on Earth. The evolution of
oxygen-producing photosynthesis in cyanobacteria had started on early life. About 2.5
billion years ago, oxygen released by these bacteria had begun to accumulate in Earth‘s
air and creating a new, global selection pressure. Other species considered oxygen as
toxic thus evolved gradually in its absence.
How did multicellular organisms evolve?
Multicellular organisms are believed to have evolved from unicellular eukaryotes
and until now it is the concept that we believe. Some single eukaryotic cells, like
unicellular algae, formed multicellular aggregates through association with another cell
producing colonies. From colonial aggregates, the organisms evolved in order to form
multicellular organisms through cell specialization. Organisms like protozoans, sponges,
and fungi came to being. The first fossilized animals which were discovered 580 million
years ago were soft-bodied. The continuous process of cell specialization brought the
emergence of complex and diverse plants and animals, including human beings.
Charles Darwin said that organisms change over time as a result of adaptation to their
environment in order to survive.
Rise of the Eukaryotes
Nucleus is not often preserved during fossilization but other traits provide
evidence that a fossilized cell was eukaryotic. These eukaryotic cells are generally
larger than the prokaryotic cells. A cell wall with complex patterns, spines, or spikes
probably belonged to a eukaryote. Researchers and scientists also look for biomarkers
(substance that occurs only or predominantly in cells of a specific type) for each
eukaryotes just like the steroids found present only to eukaryotes.
Difference between Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes
Prokaryotic Cell Eukaryotic Cell
‗pro‘= pre, ‗karyon‘=nucleus ‗eu‘ = true , ‗karyon‘= nucleus
Originated about 3.5 billion years ago Originated about 1.2 billion years ago
Primitive forms Advanced
Unicellular Multicellular
Developing nucleus True nucleus present
Small in size Larger in Size
Non-bounded membrane Membrane-bounded
ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION EUKARYOTES
Organelle Origin
Nucleus - The DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of the prokaryotes lies
on unenclosed in the cell‘s cytoplasm while the DNA of the
eukaryotes are enclosed with an endomembrane (group
of members and organelles). The nucleus and
endomembrane system evolve when plasma membrane of
an ancestral prokaryote folded inward (See fig.3)
Fig.
Figure 3. Steps in the Evolution of
eukaryotic organelles.
What is It
Biology is the study of life. Life does not only involve the living things itself only
but also includes its deepest characteristics. There are many characteristics of life and
some of these will be discussed below.
This is an important introduction on how you define a living from a non-living for
you to simply know how important life is.
7 Basic Characteristics of Life
1. Nutrition
2. Reproduction
3. Excretion
4. Growth
5. Movement
6. Respiration
7. Sensitivity
Life Characteristic Definition/Example
Sensitivity Living things are able to respond to the
environment through a stimulus. Irritability
is an example. Another example is a
living thing‘s response to light by facing
the sun and sweating as our body
response to heat which is also connected
11 to excretion.
Repr oduction Unicellular organisms reproduce by DNA
replication and dividing equally as the
new cell prepares to form two new cells
while multicellular organisms often
reproduce using its gametes in order to
form new individuals. When there is
reproduction, genes with DNA will passed
from generation to generation to ensure
that the offspring belong to the same
species having similar characteristics.
Growth and Development Organisms grow and develop according
to its genes that gives instruction that will
direct the cellular growth and
development ensure that the offspring will
grow up and exhibit many of the same
characteristics as its parents. Mitosis and
meiosis play an important role in this
matter.
Nutrition Living things take in minerals and food
from the environment in order to survive
and grow. It is the process of which
organism obtain energy and raw
materials from nutrients such as fats,
carbohydrates and proteins.
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Respiration Respiration is the process in which the
energy from the food eaten is being
released in al living cells. Organisms
break down the food within their cells with
a specific process to carry out the
following processes.
Movement All living things move. Animals move from
one place to another. Plants also move
but not as usually observable than
animals. Plants move in different ways in
order to grow and their movement may be
so slow that people cannot even
recognize. A makahiya leaf being touched
is an example of movement through
thigmotrophism
Excretion All living things also excrete but in
different ways. Excretion is the result of
many chemical reactions happening in
cells which they have to remove the
waste products which might poison the
cells. Excretion is the removal of toxic
minerals in excess from the organism.
What’s More
Activity 5: Case Analysis
With the given concept above, answer the following situations with the characteristics of
life. Write your answer on the second table.
Statement Characteristic of Life
Jannine married Frank after dating for four
years. After 2 months, Jannine thought she
Reproduction
just had difficulty having menstruation then
she found out she was pregnant.
You throw a piece of seed into your
backyard. After a few weeks, there was a
seedling started to grow.
Stomata are small openings present on plant
leaves. On a hot dry day, the stomatal
openings remain closed to reduce the loss of
water. Which characteristic of living things is
described here?
Puppies have inherited genes from both
parents and share many of the same
characteristics.
eggs—tadpoles—adult frogs
Snakes shed their skin.
Mary was running fast because she was late
in her Biology class. When she entered the
classroom, she was sweating a lot.
pollen carried from flower to flower
A triathlon ate plenty of fruits and vegetable
as a preparation for his competition next
week.
Guttation in plants gradually happen.
