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Evolution is known as “the change in characteristics of a species over several generations.” This widely accepted theory aims to explain why the genetic makeup of different species change over time and how they are able to gain certain skills in order to survive. This idea – evolution – was essentially coined by Charles Darwin. However, research suggests that many scientists explored this idea before him. Regardless, there are four major pillars of the evolutionary theory…

1.     Natural selection

Natural selection is the idea that the ultimate survival (or extinction!) of each individual is dependent on their ability to adapt to the environment. Over many many years, organisms that are better suited to live in their environment will ultimately survive longer and produce offspring with the same traits.

2.     Mutation

Mutation is the change in genetic makeup of an organism; it can affect an individual’s behavior, appearance, etc. Without mutation, organisms within a species cannot vary, which is another key component of evolution. Mutation occurs when there are errors in the process replication of one’s genetic sequence.

3.     Gene Flow

Gene flow refers to the migration of species. When a species moves into a new geographical location, reproduction with different population occurs. In turn, various genetic makeups that exist in different populations mix.

4.     Genetic Drift

Genetic drift accounts for the random frequency of alleles existing in individuals within a population. A lot of reproduction in nature occurs by chance. Meaning, sometimes reproductions occurs because two members of a species are at the right place at the right time. Because of this, the inherited genetic sequence of offspring is affected by chance events.

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The attached diagram illustrates my understanding of the phases of meiosis. Meiosis is one of the cell division process where a single cell divides once to form 2 daughter cells. Then, the cell divides again to form 4 granddaughter cells. These are known as sex cells (sperm in biological males and eggs in biological females). These cells come together in fertilization. It is the alleles that are carried in sex cells that contribute to the genetic makeup of the zygote created.

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We also chatted about the data that resulted from the Clover Lab. We talked about what the results on the paper showed, what the blue dots mean, and what the white dots mean. We talked about the importance of replication in scientific research (how multiple trials allows us to draw stronger conclusions).

You gave me a 3!

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We chatted about the formation of an experiment and why an experiment may be conducted. I used the Clover Lab to talk about this objective. We chatted about how WashU created this experiment to investigate the evolution of cyanide production in clovers. We also talked about the importance of a control in this experiment and generally.

You gave me a 3!

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4.CEL: Viruses vs Prokaryotes vs Eukaryotes

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4.CEL: Viruses vs Prokaryotes vs Eukaryotes

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Here is an edit of Portfolio #1