Evolution Schmevolution: DNA proves Evolution
The DNA between a man and monkey is 98.5% similar what does this mean?
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the instruction manual to life. But the bulk of it is just gibberish. And the functioning portions are in code. The code (the genes) is processed into proteins which, amazingly, create the diversity of life that there is. The code is composed of sequences of bases cysteine, adenine, guanine, and thyamine.After post-translational processing, every three bases (called a codon) denotes one of twenty amino acids. Since there are 64 possibilities for the codon and only twenty amino acids, there is a degeneracy - a redundancy.
What does this have to do with evolution?
One of the strongest pieces of evidence for evolution is the conservation of genes across species. Not only for functional genes, but also the "junk" - the random repeats. From my evolutionary analysis textbook:
However, an enormous number of alternative codes is theoretically possible, some of which would work as well or better than the real genetic code. Furthermore, having a unique genetic code might offer distinct advantages. For example, if humans used a different genetic code from chimpanzees, we would not have been susceptible to the chimpanzee virus that jumped to humans and became HIV. When the virus attempted to replicate inside human cells, its proteins would have been garbled during translation. If alternative genetic codes are possible, and if using them would be advantageous, then why do virtually all organisms use the same one? (emphasis mine)
Saying that our genetic information is only 1.5% different from a monkey's means that we share a common ancestor. Period. Ask any geneticist.
I believe that this is a more convincing argument than saying that all mitochondria (an essential part of cells) are made from basically the exact same sequence of DNA.
If you have any questions or want me to clarify something, feel free to ask. This is complicated stuff and I left out a lot.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the instruction manual to life. But the bulk of it is just gibberish. And the functioning portions are in code. The code (the genes) is processed into proteins which, amazingly, create the diversity of life that there is. The code is composed of sequences of bases cysteine, adenine, guanine, and thyamine.After post-translational processing, every three bases (called a codon) denotes one of twenty amino acids. Since there are 64 possibilities for the codon and only twenty amino acids, there is a degeneracy - a redundancy.
What does this have to do with evolution?
One of the strongest pieces of evidence for evolution is the conservation of genes across species. Not only for functional genes, but also the "junk" - the random repeats. From my evolutionary analysis textbook:
However, an enormous number of alternative codes is theoretically possible, some of which would work as well or better than the real genetic code. Furthermore, having a unique genetic code might offer distinct advantages. For example, if humans used a different genetic code from chimpanzees, we would not have been susceptible to the chimpanzee virus that jumped to humans and became HIV. When the virus attempted to replicate inside human cells, its proteins would have been garbled during translation. If alternative genetic codes are possible, and if using them would be advantageous, then why do virtually all organisms use the same one? (emphasis mine)
Saying that our genetic information is only 1.5% different from a monkey's means that we share a common ancestor. Period. Ask any geneticist.
I believe that this is a more convincing argument than saying that all mitochondria (an essential part of cells) are made from basically the exact same sequence of DNA.
If you have any questions or want me to clarify something, feel free to ask. This is complicated stuff and I left out a lot.