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Evolution Short Note

Chapter 4 of Grade 12 Biology covers the concept of evolution, defining it as a change in genetic composition over generations. It discusses various theories regarding the origin of life, including creationism, spontaneous generation, and biochemical origins, highlighting key figures and experiments that support these theories. The chapter also outlines the evolution of early prokaryotes and the transition to an oxygen-rich atmosphere, along with the types of autotrophs that emerged.

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19 views4 pages

Evolution Short Note

Chapter 4 of Grade 12 Biology covers the concept of evolution, defining it as a change in genetic composition over generations. It discusses various theories regarding the origin of life, including creationism, spontaneous generation, and biochemical origins, highlighting key figures and experiments that support these theories. The chapter also outlines the evolution of early prokaryotes and the transition to an oxygen-rich atmosphere, along with the types of autotrophs that emerged.

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ablaabdu202
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GRADE 12 BIOLOGY CHAPTER 4

EVOLUTION
Defn: Evolution is a change in genetic composition of a population over
successive generations, which may be caused by meiosis, hybridization, natural
selection or mutation.

Theories of the origin of life


 The origin of life means the emergence of heritable and evolvable self
reproduction

Intelligent design and creationism: the two opposing theories for a long time.

Creationism is the belief that God created the universe and life through
supernatural means. It is often used to contrast with the theory of evolution.

 Main points
 God created all life
 God created all life in its current forms
 God is the only being that can create new forms of life

Types of creationism
 Young-earth creationism

The belief that God created the universe and everything in it recently, within a few
thousand years

 Old-earth creationism

The belief that God created the universe billions of years ago

 Progressive creationism

The belief that God created new forms of life gradually over hundreds of millions
of years
 Gap creationism

The belief that God created the earth, destroyed it, and then recreated it later.

 Spontaneous generation
The theory of spontaneous generation is the idea that living things can come from
non-living matter. It was a widely accepted belief for centuries, but has since been
disproved.

Francesco Redi's experiment disproved the theory of spontaneous generation and


supported the theory of biogenes.

Louis Pasteur, a French microbiologist, disproved the theory of spontaneous


generation through his experiments with swan-necked flasks.

 Eternity of life
In this theory of life, there is no beginning and no end to life on Earth and so life
neither needs special creation nor does it need to be generated from non-living
matter

 Cosmosan theory
According to Cosmozoan theory life has reached this planet Earth from other
cosmological structures, such as meteorites, in the form of highly resistant spores.
This theory was proposed by Richter (1865). According to this theory,
"protoplasm" reached the earth in the form of spores or germs or other simple
particles from some unknown part of the universe with the cosmic dust, and
subsequently evolved into various forms of life.

 Biochemical origin

Biochemical theory suggets that life on Earth originated as a result of a number of


biochemical reactions producing organic molecules which associated to form calls

 Alexander Oparin (1924):

Oparin suggested that life began in a "primordial soup," a mixture of simple


chemicals in Earth's early oceans. He proposed that organic molecules (like amino
acids and proteins) formed naturally under Earth's early conditions, driven by
energy sources like lightning, sunlight, or volcanic heat.

 John Haldane (1929):

Haldane independently proposed a similar idea, calling Earth's early atmosphere a


"reducing atmosphere," rich in gases like methane (CH₄), ammonia (NH₃),
hydrogen (H₂), and water vapor (H₂O). He suggested that ultraviolet radiation and
lightning could trigger chemical reactions, leading to the formation of complex
organic molecules.

Key Molecules Used in Experiments:

 Methane (CH₄)
 Ammonia (NH₃)
 Hydrogen (H₂)
 Water vapor (H₂O)

Both believed these molecules could form sugars, amino acids, and nucleotides—
the building blocks of life. Their ideas laid the foundation for Stanley Miller and
Harold Urey's famous experiment in 1953, which tested these theories.

 Autotrophs:

Form the base of all food chains by producing sugars, proteins, and lipids for life.

First Organisms (4 Billion Years Ago):

Prokaryotes without a true nucleus.

Likely used RNA as genetic material.

Evolutionary Lines from Early Prokaryotes:

1. Archaebacteria: Includes thermophiles, methanogens, and halophiles.

2. Eubacteria: Includes ordinary bacteria and cyanobacteria.

3. Eukaryotes: Gave rise to protoctists, fungi, plants, and animals (mostly aerobic).

Atmospheric Change:
Shift from a reducing atmosphere to an oxygen-rich one (~2.4 billion years ago).

Types of Autotrophs:

1. Chemoautotrophs:

Use chemical reactions for energy and CO₂ as a carbon source.

Use inorganic sources like iron, sulfur, hydrogen, or ammonia.

Found in extreme environments (e.g., deep-sea vents, acidic areas).

Belong to Archaea or Bacteria.

2. Photoautotrophs:

Use sunlight and CO₂ to produce organic materials.

Eukaryotic photoautotrophs use chlorophyll in chloroplasts.


PREPARED BY BENOL ACADEMY TEAM

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