88. THE SCIENCE BEHIND EVOLUTION

Question 1

1. What have new discoveries regarding Evolution been able to do?

Answer 1

• they have been able to fill the gaps that were identified
  by Darwin’s Origin of Species Theory

Question 2

2. List the 4 different types of Scientific Data that support Evolution.

Answer 2

1. Direct Observations
2. Homology
3. The Fossil Record
4. Biogeography

Question 3

3. List examples of Direct Observations of Evolutionary Change, Natural Selection and Adaptation.

Answer 3

1. NATURAL SELECTION
   - in response to Introduced Plant Species
   - these plant species will change and adapt to their new
   environment
   
   • the other species in this environment will also have
     to change to adapt to the alien plants
2. THE EVOLUTION OF
   
   • drug-resistant Bacteria
3. THE EVOLUTION OF
   - insecticide-resistant mosquitoes
4. THE ENHANCED SURVIVAL OF
   
   • Thalassaemia Carriers upon the exposure to Malaria

Question 4

4. What is an example of a species that has used Natural Selection in Response to new, introduced plant species?

Answer 4

• Soapberry Bugs
• they use their beak to feed on seeds within fruits

THERE IS A CORRELATION:
- between the fruit size and the beak size of the
Soapberry bugs
- a change in a population’s food source can result in
an evolution by Natural Selection

THIS EVOLUTION HAS ALSO BEEN OBSERVED IN:
- Florida
- Louisiana
- Oklahoma
- Australia

Question 5

5. What kind of change can we see in Soapberry bugs that live in Southern Florida?

Answer 5

• they have longer beaks
• this is because they feed on larger than the native
  fruits

Question 6

6. What kind of change can we see in Soapberry bugs that live in Central Florida?

Answer 6

• they have shorter beaks
• this is because they feed on smaller than the native
  fruits

Question 7

7. How long did it take this evolution of the Soapberry Bug Beaks to take place in Florida?

Answer 7

• it happened in less than 35 years
• this is known as a Microevolution

Question 8

8. Which 2 factors affect the Evolution Rate of a species?

Answer 8

• the size of the species
• the generation time of the species

Question 9

9. What is an example of an Evolution caused by Adaptation in Bacteria?

Answer 9

• the evolution of Drug resistant Bacteria
• these Bacteria have become antibiotic resistant

Question 10

10. What can be said about the Generation times of Bacteria?

Answer 10

• they have short generation times
• they can divide every 1 to 3 hours

Question 11

11. What is the result of Bacteria’s short generation time?

Answer 11

• this allows for the rapid adaptive evolution of bacteria
• this means that the adaptation is a rapid process

Question 12

12. Give one example of Bacteria that have become Drug Resistant?

Answer 12

1. Staphylococcus Aureus

Question 13

13. What is the Bacterium Staphylococcus Aureus?

Answer 13

• it is a bacteria that is responsible for a wide range of
  human infections

Question 14

14. Which Antibiotics has Bacterium Staphylococcus Aureus become resistant to?

Answer 14

1. PENICILLIN
   - it became resistant in 1945
   - this happened 2 years after it was first widely used
2. METHICILLIN
   - it became resistant in 1961
   - this happened 2 years after it was first widely used

Question 15

15. What is the abbreviation for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus?

Answer 15

• MRSA
• it is a dangerous Pathogenic Strain
• it is resistant to many other antibiotics as well
• it can infect someone directly in their Blood Stream

Question 16

16. What is Methicillin?

Answer 16

• it is a Beta (β)- Lactam Antibiotic
• it binds to Transpeptidase
• it inhibits Transpeptidase

Question 17

17. What is Transpeptidase?

Answer 17

• this is an enzyme
• it is responsible for the formation of peptidoglycan

PEPTIDOGLYCAN:
- is found in the Bacterial Cell Wall
- this means that it is found in Gram + Bacteria

Question 18

18. What is the MecA gene?

Answer 18

• this is a gene
• it encodes for a protein that binds to Beta (β)-Lactam
  Antibiotics

Question 19

19. What does the MecA gene do?

Answer 19

• it makes the Transpeptidase enzyme stay active
• this enzyme is found in bacteria
• the enzyme stays active even in the presence of
  Beta (β) Lactam antibiotics

THIS MEANS THAT:
- cell wall synthesis will continue
- the antibiotic will not be able to inhibit it
- the bacteria can resist the antibiotic

Question 20

20. How is the development of Antibiotic Resistance an example of Natural Selection?

Answer 20

WHEN THE MRSA STRAINS ARE EXPOSED TO METHICILLIN:
- they are more likely to survive than the non-resistant
Staphylococcus Aureus Strains
- the MRSA strains will reproduce
- this bacteria will increase in frequency
- the MRSA is now resistant to many antibiotics

Question 21

21. How is the evolution of insecticide-resistant mosquitoes an example of Adaptation?

Answer 21

• specific mosquito populations have developed
  a resistance to the insecticide DDT

DDT:
- Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane