EVOLUTION
Lamarck Explained
• Species evolve from older species (accepted by other scientists)
• If organisms use a structure often, it becomes bigger. If they don’t use it at all, it becomes
smaller and may disappear. He called this the ‘law of use and disuse’
• The offspring of organisms inherit the characteristics their parents acquired during their
lifetime. ‘inheritance of acquired characteristics’
• Forces within organisms’ drive species to evolve up a ladder of progress
Why was Lamarck’s theory rejected?
• Organisms cannot change/adapt because they want to- the environment determines any
changes
• There is not sufficient evidence to prove that changes/modifications occurring in the lifetime
of an organism is passed on to further generations.
NATURAL SELECTION by DARWIN
Key terms
1. Variety - V
2. Competition- C
3. Survival of the fittest- S
4. Reproduction - R
5. Allele/gene - A
6. Gradual change- G
There is a great deal variation amongst the offspring’s in a population
Some have favourable characteristics and some do not
When there is a change in the environmental conditions/ there is increase in competition
Organisms with favourable characteristics survive
Whilst organisms with unfavourable characteristics die
The organisms that survive, reproduce
And pass on the allele for the favourable characteristic to their offspring
The next generation will gradually change, therefore have a higher proportion of individuals
with the favourable characteristics
ARTIFICIAL SELECTION
- Plant breeders/people select characteristics and
- And not nature selecting characteristics
- They select those characteristics that are desirable to them (people) and not beneficial for
survival of the organisms
Artificial selection vs genetic engineering
Artificial selection- Organisms with desirable characteristics are interbred
Genetic engineering- Genes coding for the desired characteristics are inserted into an organism
Theory of evolution
It is regarded as a scientific theory since various hypothesis relate to evolution and they have been
tested and verified over time.
HYPOTHEISIS THEORY
Possible explanation of a phenomena after
observation
Scientific explanation of events supported by
results
Based on limited data Supported by a lot of evidence
Hypothesis can either be accepted or rejected Theoris are reliable and the basic ideas persist
in science
SPECIATION
- A population of a particular species becomes separated
- by a geographical barrier
- There is no gene flow between the separated populations - Natural selection occurs
independently in each population
- due to exposure to different environmental conditions/selection pressures
- The populations become very different from each other
- genotypically and phenotypical
- Even if the populations were to mix again
- they will not be able to interbreed
- The different populations are now new species
HOW TB BACTERIA BECOMES RESISTANT
- variation in the population of E. coli bacteria
- Some were resistant to antibiotic A
- others were not resistant
- Those E. coli bacteria which were not resistant to antibiotic A were killed
- Those which were resistant to antibiotic A survive/reproduced
- passing on the alleles for resistance to their offspring
- Over time, the resistance to antibiotic A increased/the percentage of E. coli bacteria dying
decreased
How continental affected the distribution of the common ancestor
- There was once one large continent
- and the common ancestor existed throughout this continent
- When Madagascar separated
- the common ancestor was found in both regions
what are biological species
- Similar organisms
- that can interbreed
- to produce fertile offspring