Janna Conaway

AC1305840
SC160:Basic Biology
Assignment 8 Ecosystems & DNA
9-15-15
Ecosystems & DNA
In biology, we learn that every organism in some way is connected. Every living
thing on the planet starts with DNA. Discovered by James Watson and Francis crick,
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) was discovered through the study of science. Although,
DNA is also found in offspring from an organism and used in general science, the
discoveries found exist today in genetic engineering and forensic investigating in crimes.
Likewise, in forensic science the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is used by taking a
specific segment of DNA and copying it quick and precise.
With PCR, a scientist can collect the smallest amount of blood and tissue and create a
DNA profile. Similarly, scientists compare sequences in the genome that vary from each
person. However, every organism has its own unique DNA except for identical twins
share DNA. In a like matter, corn and many other vegetables such as tomatoes and
soybeans, have been genetically altered to create their own insecticides. Likewise, food
is not the only thing that is genetically altered with DNA, genetically modified bacteria
exists as well, this is known as Humulin. What is humulin? Insulin is a protein in our
bodies, made by the pancreas, the insulin acts as a hormone and helps the glucose level.
However, if a body fails to produce the proper factor of insulin, this results in
diabetes. Also, DNA in humans is similar to that in animals to help us advance in

medicine and curing fatal genetic diseases. Likewise, DNA is also used to determine
ancient organisms and extinct species and how they lived their lives because of what
exists in their DNA. So therefore, examples of DNA that are consistent with our everyday
lives are; paternity, investigation crimes, and ancient DNA. As we think of natural
selection, the Darwin effect comes to mind.
Charles Darwin is said to be the founder of biology, his studies had shown facts
about the world, including such things as habitats, behaviors, and species. Although, there
were many naturalists that wrote many books on similar things, Darwin was different for
the simple fact that he introduced a hypothesis with facts to prove his findings and prove
that he in fact was correct. Notably, natural selection is a process in which organisms with
certain inherited traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than are individuals with
other traits. Therefore, a result of natural selection is that population (a group of the same
species living in the same place at the same amount of time) can change over every series
of species that is reproduced. Likewise, natural selection results in adaption over time,
increase in traits within population to the environment.
Furthermore, examples of natural selection taking place, is that in; spraying crops to
kill insects, when wind blows pollen, from one side of the field to the other where there
are trees, these tress will reproduce. Microbe is a term that describes any microscopic
organism. However, there are more microbes in ocean life than anywhere else in the
world! Therefore, without these microbes life would be non existent for any organism.
Although some microbes use photosynthesis, most microbes absorb energy from
chemical processes to their metabolism. Everything that happens in our environment
plays a role of importance to all organisms and the way they survive.

Notably, biodiversity (varieties of organisms) that exists today is a result of

evolution, created by humans and environmental processes. However, desertification
threatens biodiversity. When land degrades into a desert, this results into no more living
cultivation. Furthermore, since there is no plants, or water, an organism can't adapt to
these conditions to survive. Therefore, examples of biodiversity are animals, plants,
micro-organisms.
Additionally, organisms are affected by evolution in many ways. Therefore, plant and
animals with bigger bodied organisms tend to live the longest and reproduce more than
those with smaller bodied organisms. Although, animals and humans are different
species, science shows that we share many similarities in organisms concluding that we
shared a history in evolution. However, plants and animals are more alike because they
both evolved from the sea. Likewise, all animal and plants are characterized as
multicellular eukaryotes, their bodies contain cells that have a nucleus and numerous
organelles.
Equally, animals and humans, any living organism to be exact all have a similar life
cycle except for the only different of uni and multicellular bodies. Similarly, prokaryotic
organisms such as bacteria have a developmental root. Therefore, due to DNA evidence,
it is proposed that the first eukaryotes evolved from prokaryotes (this is the relation
between human, animals, and plants in evolution.) However, unicellular photosynthetic
protists also exist, such as algae. Although, algae to most just seems like a sea slime, it
plays a very important role.
Algae has chloroplast that evolve food chains in freshwater ecosystems. In particular,
plants and animals alike both originated from a process called endosymbiosis.

Furthermore, endosymbiosis is when one cell absorbs another cell but then can't digest
the cell. Also, animal and plants rely on (mitochondria) to absorb energy to their cells
using respiration. Correspondingly, as evolution changes so does the population
growth(the increase in number of individuals) just like how the trees reproduce to
increase the population.
Likewise, the population growth rate (the rate the population growths in an amount
of time as a fraction). A +( positive) growth rate indicates an increasing population
however, a - (negative) growth rate indicates a decreasing population. Therefore, a
growth ratio of 0 determines that there is no change in numbers of the population from
the beginning to the end of that time frame. Furthermore, DNA ties into biomes and
ecosystems. Biomes(large Eco-friendly spaces with organisms adjusting to their
environment) are often characterized as abiotic elements.
However, a biome can't be misunderstood for an ecosystem. In biomes the organisms
are able to adapt to their changes. Therefore, many ecosystems can be found within one
biome. In conclusion, there are 5 major biomes on our planet and these biomes consist of
sub biomes or furthermore,

ecosystems which, most of us are familiar with many

organisms from these ecosystems, these ecosystems include; desert, aquatic, forest,
grassland, and tundra. Ultimately, organisms and DNA are all around us, and are in
existent for many many years to come.

Conaway, J. (2015) Ecosystems & DNA. Unpublished manuscript, Ashworth University.

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http://www.whoi.edu/main/topic/microbial-life
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http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/evolution/AnimalEvolution.shtml

What is a biome, and what are the major types on earth? (n.d.). Retrieved August 26,
2015, from http://eschooltoday.com/ecosystems/what-is-a-biome.html