P11. Proteins and evolution

Introduction:

• Genes are made of DNA and are inherited from parent to offspring. Soma DNA sequences code form RNA which, in turn, codes for the amino acid sequence of proteins. Cytochrome C is a protein involved in using energy in the cell. Cytochrome C is found in most, if not all, known eukaryotes. Over time, random mutations in the DNA sequence occur. As a result, the amino acid sequence of Cytochrome C also changes. Cells without usable Cytochrome C are unlikely to survive. 

Objectives:

1. To compare the relatedness between organisms by examining the amino acid sequence in the protein, Cytochrome C.

Conclusions and coments:

QUESTIONS:

  1.- How many Cytochrome C amino acid sequence differences are there between chickens and turkeys?

•        0 differences.

         2.- Make a branching tree for chikens, penguins, and turkeys. 

         

•          Penguins--Turkey----3 differences.
•          Turkey-- Chicken----0 differences

3. a. Predict the number of Cytochrome C amino acid sequence differences you would expect to see between 

• - horse --- zebra: 1 or 2
• - donkey --- zebra: 1 or 2

b. what other information did you use to make this prediction? 

• They can reproduce, the offspring is fertile, comparing the organs or anatomic proofs, comparing embryos.

5. List three other things used to determine how organisms are related to each other:

• If they can reproduce, the offspring is fertile, comparing the organs or anatomic proofs, comparing embryos.

6. Explain why more closely related organism have more similar Cytochrome C.

• Not so long ago that there have been separated and many mutations. There are fewer differences in DNA.

7. Other data including other genes, suggests that fungi are more closely related to animals than plants. What are some reasons that the Cytochrome C data suggests that fungi, plants, and animals are equally distantly related?

• If you have more than 40, suffered a lot of mutations and can not be compared. If Compares other proteins, there are other changes and we can not draw more conclusions.