The diversity and the unity of life are equally meaningful and striking aspects of our Earth (Dobzhansky, 1973). Although an astounding 1.2 million species have already been identified, it is estimated that another 8.7 million are yet to be discovered and classified (Mora et al., 2011). By understanding what unifies us –our genes, our understanding of the organisms we share our planet with will continue to grow.
Genomic sequencing is the process of determining the precise order of nucleotides within a DNA molecule. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four DNA bases – thiamine, adenine, guanine, and cytosine– in the strand of DNA (NHGRI, 2011). In each organism, these bases are arranged in a unique and specific sequence, and it is this sequence that is the genetic code of the organism. Genomic sequencing has had an impact on nearly every field of biological research including human genetics and genomics, plants and agriculture, microbes, medicine, viruses and infectious diseases, environmental genetics and evolutionary biology. By first examining the development of gene sequencing technology we will be able to view its role in evolutionary biology, its contribution to phylogenetics, and how it has changed our understanding of the biological tree of life.
Development of gene sequencing technology
The majority of scientific work in genetics and genomic sequencing has been done in the last 155 years. In 1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species where he proposed evolution by natural selection. Evolution is the change of inherited characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.Yet, the principals of genetics required to explain how characters are ...
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...ous amount of information into many biological processes, our phylogenetic relationships and evolution (NHGRI, 2011).
The successful sequencing of complete genomes has provided us with a virtual map of many organisms (Zhaurova, 2008). This accomplishment should be viewed not as an end in itself, but rather as a starting point for even more research. The future promises more progress in genetics evolutionary biology and in other areas of biology, science, and technology. Armed with accumulating genomic sequences researchers are now trying to unravel some of biology's most complicated processes (NHGRI, 2011), such as uncovering the genomic events that led to the formation of early life and the development of new species (Hudson, 2008). As the complexity and sheer amount of genomic information grows so to will our understanding of the evolution of life on Earth.
Any inherited, genetic change in a population which takes place over several generations is defined as Biological evolution. Darwin and Lamarck have contributed majorly to the evolutionary theory. Although Lamarck’s theory was unsupported, he probably provided inspiration to Darwin and many other enthused scientists.
Biosphere The Realm Of Life. Authors: Robert A. Wallace, Jack L.King , Gerald P.Sanders – 1998
Wonder of DNA. Design(er) Conference. Answers in Genesis, 10 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2014
In retrospect, Gould and Lewontin want to spread their ideas not to cause social conflict or scientific debate; they welcome the richness that a pluralistic path so affiliated to Darwin’s spirit, can provide. The authors do a good job at swaying the readers of their understanding of the pluralistic viewpoint of the evolutionary theory through diction, quotations, and examples. Due to their opinion that organism are unified wholes; the pluralistic outlook could put organisms, with all their unruly yet apprehensible complexity, back into evolutionary theory.
Anyone with even a moderate background in science has heard of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. Since the publishing of his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859, Darwin’s ideas have been debated by everyone from scientists to theologians to ordinary lay-people. Today, though there is still severe opposition, evolution is regarded as fact by most of the scientific community and Darwin’s book remains one of the most influential ever written.
According to Darwin and his theory on evolution, organisms are presented with nature’s challenge of environmental change. Those that possess the characteristics of adapting to such challenges are successful in leaving their genes behind and ensuring that their lineage will continue. It is natural selection, where nature can perform tiny to mass sporadic experiments on its organisms, and the results can be interesting from extinction to significant changes within a species.
This leads students to the understanding that while scientific endeavors may seem unrelated they help us unlock the mysteries in the phylogenic tree of life. When I first started reading the book, I was like Shubin roaming the dessert in search of fossils, I failed to see what was right in front of me the whole time. Then it struck me as I continued reading, this book was not just about the similar facts discussed but rather the painstaking journey and tedious hours spent arriving at these conclusions. I can look at a phylogeny and see morphological changes, but what is not initially evident is the countless hours cataloging fossilized remains and studying them to determine their place on a phylogenic tree. While Shubin made a significant advancement in our understanding of our evolutionary history, the significance of his findings relies on the tedious work of his predecessors, the same could be said for any advancement in the pursuit of knowledge. Our knowledge in the field of science is advanced in much the same way as Shubin’s nesting doll. This insight brings a greater appreciation for phylogenic tree used in the last PowerPoint slide of our last
Noonan, James P. Neanderthal genomics and the evolution of modern humans. Journal of Genome Res, v.20(5); May 2010.
Ridley, M. (1999). Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters. New York: HarperCollins.
In 2010, Craig Venter and a team of biologists were the first to successfully sequence the human genome and the first to create a cell with a synthetic genome. Since this ground breaking scientific discovery, new genetic data has become increasingly available that allow biologists to take a closer look at complex evolutionary processes (Venter, 2010). One important instrument used for enhancing the study of evolutionary biology is the molecular clock, first proposed in the 1960s. Since the 1960s, the molecular clock hypothesis has been revised and has led to the development of a new hypothesized “relaxed” molecular clock. With the “relaxed” molecular clock, biologists can gain insights on organisms where biological characteristics cannot be found in fossil records. If the molecular clock hypothesis is valid, this tool can be essential for developing complete evolutionary time scales which enable biologists to fully understand evolutionary rates. The molecular clock is of interest to many scientists and it is one of the mos...
Web. The Web. The Web. 11 February 2014 “Biology: Evolution”. The New York Public Library Science Desk Reference.
The discovery of genome sequencing by Fredrick Sanger and his team of researchers in the early 70’s gave rise to one of the most empirical research methods that was ever to exist. This revolutionary research technique has allowed scientists to finally encode organisms down to their most basic properties; helping massively in our understanding of pathways, reactions and functions of organisms. The technique involves analysing the DNA of an organism’s genome and therefore all the genes that compose it. The DNA from an organism is run through an electrophoresis gel and the sequence produced is taken up and interpreted by a computer program to then present the nucleotide sequence of the organism. Genome sequencing of pathogenic organisms has lead to huge advancements in the fight against infectious diseases within human and veterinary medicine; three notably virulent infectious diseases of the veterinary world are bluetongue virus, equine strangles and bovine tuberculosis (Goodhead, 2012).
Frank Urena BMI 598 , Biomedical Commercialization Assignment 4, Genomic Health. • Could the Genomic Health success story could be repeated today? What current factors do you believe would have the most impact on your opinion? • It can, and it will, driven by the epigenome project (http://www.epigenome.org/) , and the improvements in information access, there still many areas of genomic health for exploration and discovery. Since 2016 medical school curriculums have been adapted to incorporate molecular and genomic medicine, this will create a whole generation of medical providers eager to adopt genetic diagnostic, and genetic determined treatments towards personalized medicine.
‘Whenever we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.’ A quote by John Muir that recently came to my attention. More simply said everything is part from everything else. We occupy a beautiful planet, and what makes it so breathtaking is its diversity. The number of known living species on earth is approximately 8.7 million.
Evolution is a complex process by which organisms change over time; it is a process in which traits are passed from one generation to the next (Darwin and Beer 1996:108-139). Evolutionists have tried to explain the loss of functions of different organs, for centuries. The two most prominent scientists that studied evolution were Jean-Baptist Lamarck and Charles Darwin. Lamarck’s theory of inheritance of acquired characters and Darwin’s variational evolution were the most important theories that attempted to explain evolution before the discovery of genes during the beginning of the twentieth century.