Concept explainers
What Good Are Wisdom Teeth and Ostrich Wings?
Just as anatomical homology can lead to vestigial structures such as human wisdom teeth and the wings of flightless birds, genetic homology can lead to vestigial DMA sequences. For example, most mammal species produce an enzyme. L-gulonolactone oxidase, that catalyzes the last step in the production of vitamin C. The species that produce the enzyme are able to do so because they all inherited the gene that encodes it from a common ancestor. Humans, however, do not produce L-gulonolactone oxidase, so we can’t produce vitamin C ourselves and must consume it in our diets. But even though we don’t produce the enzyme, our cells do contain a stretch of DMA with a sequence very similar to that of the enzyme-producing gene present in rats and most other mammals. The human version. though, does not encode the enzyme (or any protein). We inherited this stretch of DNA from an ancestor that we share with other mammal species, but in us, the sequence has undergone a change that rendered it nonfunctional. (The change probably did not confer a strong disadvantage, because our ancestors got sufficient vitamin C in their diets.) The nonfunctional sequence remains as a vestigial trait, evidence of our shared ancestry.
Vestigial traits are evidence of both shared ancestry and change in traits over time. What kinds of observations and experiments show that natural selection contributes to evolutionary change?
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Biology
- Beadle and Tatum's experiments led to the "one gene - one enzyme (protein)" hypothesis. In subsequent years, many exceptions to this hypothesis were noted. A molecule of hemoglobin fails to support this hypothesis for which of the following reasons? n eukaryotes, one gene can code form multiple isoforms of a polypeptide. The functional hemoglobin protein is made from multiple polypeptides. Not all enzymes are proteins. Not all genes encode proteins.arrow_forwardGenes important in the embryonic development of animals, such as homeobox-containing genes, have been relatively well conserved during evolution; that is, they are more similar among different species than are many other genes. Explain why this is.arrow_forwardAntibiotics such as chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and erythromycin inhibit protein synthesis in bacteria, but have no effect on the synthesis of proteins encoded by eukaryotic nuclear genes. Cycloheximide inhibits the synthesis of proteins encoded by nuclear genes, but has no effect on bacterial protein synthesis. How might these compounds be used to determine which proteins are encoded by mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes?arrow_forward
- Synpolydactyly is an abnormality characterized by webbing between partially or completely duplicated fingers or toes (Figure 18.15). The same mutations that cause the human phenotype give rise to a similar phenotype in mice. In what family of genes do you think these mutations occur?arrow_forwardThe authors used (1,5- 14C2)citrate to measure activity of the TCA enzymes in the liver. Generally, in textbooks the carbon structures of TCA intermediates are illustrated by adding 14CH3 13COCOO- to an appropriately prepared cell lysate. What is the advantage with respect to the rate of 14CO2 evolution by adding (1,5-14C2)citrate instead of 14CH313COCOO-? Show the effect by writing the reactions of the TCA cycle for both cases.arrow_forwardOne unexpected result of the sequencing of the human genome was the finding that mutations in a single gene can be responsible for multiple distinct disorders. For example, mutations in the RET gene can cause two different types of multiple endocrine neoplasias, familial medullary thyroid carcinoma, and Hirschsprung disease. How do you think mutations in a single gene can have such diverse effects?arrow_forward
- Mutations within the genes for ARSs, are known to be cause certain human maladies, such as the neurodegenerative disorder Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease along with other central nervous system dysfunctions, and cancer. Interestingly, not all those who possess mutations within specific ARS genes do not display the disease phenotype. Provide at least one reason why a person might survive. Remember, do not just name a concept. Describe the concept and then explain WHY (on a molecular level) this explanation holds true.arrow_forwardMany aspects of gene function can be nicely explained with the one-gene-one-enzyme hypothesis, which states that a gene controls the production of an enzyme. Which of the following findings about gene expression, though, requires an expansion of this simple concept? Choose an answer below: Non-enzyme proteins are made from genes too. Some genes code for RNA molecules only. Enzymes composed of different polypeptides are coded for by more than one gene. a and c, but not b a, b, and carrow_forwardOne of the two genes known to be mutated in cases of Hypokalemic periodic paralysis (which is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern but known to affect males more often than females) is the calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 S (CACNA1S). What is known about the gene is recorded here: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?db=core;g=ENSG00000081248;r=1:201039512-201112451 Please navigate to the link above and use the information and link-outs from the page to answer the following question. GIVE YOUR ANSWER AS A NUMBER ONLY, NO UNITS: What is the size in amino acid residues of the CACNA1S transcript named CACNA1S-202? Answer: The size of the CACNA1S transcript named CACNA1S-202 is how many amino acid residues.arrow_forward
- Gene A, which encodes alcohol dehydrogenase, is labeled with a red fluorophore in a FISH experiment with one chromosome of a homologous pair, with results shown below. Gene B is labeled in green and encodes Notch2NL, a gene which may help to explain brain size differences between humans and chimpanzees, and which with increased dosage, may lead to a condition referred to as macrocephaly (enlarged head circumference sometimes associated with learning disabilities). What can you infer about these two genes given the results seen below?arrow_forwardFeather color in parakeets is produced by the blending of pigments produced from two biosynthetic pathways shown below. Four independently assorting genes (AA, BB, CC, and DD) produce enzymes that catalyze separate steps of the pathways. For the questions below, use an uppercase letter to indicate a dominant allele producing full enzymatic activity and a lowercase letter to indicate a recessive allele producing no functional enzyme. Feather colors produced by mixing pigments are green (yellow + blue) and purple (red + blue). Red, yellow, and blue feathers result from production of one colored pigment, and white results from absence of pigment production. What is the genotype of a pure-breeding purple parakeet strain? Express your answer as combination of allelic symbols. Example: AaBBccDd.arrow_forwarda molecular geneticist hopes to find a gene in human liver cells that codes for an important blood-clotting protein. he knows that the nucleotide sequence of a small part of the gene is gtggactgaca. briefly explain how to obtain the desired gene answerarrow_forward
- Human Heredity: Principles and Issues (MindTap Co...BiologyISBN:9781305251052Author:Michael CummingsPublisher:Cengage Learning