Question

please answer and explain! thank you

the equation of my trendline is y=1.35x-11.2

and the r^2=0.975 if needed

2. Use the trendline in your figure as a standard curve. If two species diverged 45 million years ago how many differences in their amino acid sequences would you expect there to be? How could the ability to make this kind of prediction be useful to scientists?

Answer 1

In the early days of molecular evolution, one of the most tantalizing findings was the observation that protein sequence change seemed to occur at a rate proportional to the time since the evolutionary divergence of species. The term 'molecular clock' was coined to describe the phenomenon, comparing the manner in which sequence changes occur to regular ticks of a clock. Is there really such a molecular clock? If so, why? Can we use molecular clocks to date evolutionary events? After several decades of study, we have answers to some of these questions. More importantly, in the process we have learned a lot more about how changes at the molecular level accumulate throughout the genome.

Variation is essential to species survival and adaptation during evolution. This variation is conferred by the imperfection of biochemical processes, such as mutations and alterations in DNA sequences, and can also be seen within genomes through processes such as the generation of antibodies. Recent sequencing projects have produced multiple versions of the genomes of humans and fruit flies

By comparing the type and sequence of amino acids in similar proteins from different species, the degree of similarity can be established. The greater the similarity between the sequence of amino acids in the proteins of species the more closely related they are.

The side groups are what make each amino acid different from the others. Of the 20 side groups used to make proteins, there are two main groups: polar and non-polar. The polar and nonpolar chemical traits allow amino acids to point towards water or away from water .

Amino acids make up the enzymes that facilitate the myriad chemical reactions in our bodies. They carry nutrients and other necessary molecules through our blood and across cell membranes and transport signals from one part of the body to another. Furthermore, the antibodies which protect us from illness are proteins

For years, scientists have used DNA and amino acid sequences to decipher relationships between closely related species, such as different types of reptiles, birds, and even bacteria. The approach, called "molecular phylogeny," compares sequence data and ranks organisms' degree of relatedness based on the differences in their DNA. As researchers sequence the genomes of an increasing number of organisms every year, they uncover more data to use in evolutionary studies. In the emerging field of phylogenomics, researchers simultaneously compare numerous genes—and will one day compare complete genomes—to build new evolutionary trees.

n this activity, analyze a suite of amino acid sequences from a gene that makes the protein Cytochrome C. All eukaryotic organisms share this protein, which plays a central role in the energy-producing process of cellular respiration. Cytochrome C is an iron-containing molecule that carries electrons during the electron transport chain in cellular respiration. The protein is found in many lineages, including those of animals, plants, and numerous unicellular species. Its ubiquity makes it a convenient tool for studying evolution. By counting the number of amino acid differences between humans and six other species