Morais1

KyndalMorais
APBiology
Per4/Mr.Ginnever
22May2014
LiteracyTask#6

As the earth, and the life formations on it, continue toexist,many changesoccur as well. Life
began in simple single celled forms, and over time, changed into multicellular organisms, then into
bigger andbiggermore complexorganisms, eventuallyleadinginto animalsandhumans. Whatexactlyis
this called though when organisms change over time, starting as one lifeform, butthencenturieslater
becominganotherlife form? This process isknownto becalledevolution,whichisthetheorythatliving
thingschangeoveralongperiodoftime.Althoughmanypeopledisagreewiththetheory ofevolution,for
theirownpersonalbeliefsandsoon,thereare manypiecesofevidencetosupportthetheoryofevolution.
This theory can be supported by natural selection, SPONCH, homologous and analogous structures,
embryology,andStanleyMillersabioticexperient.
Many scientificbreakthroughsanddiscoveriespointtowards supportingthetheory ofevolution,
which suggests we originated from common ancestors, and then evolved into different species and
organisms with some similargenetic information. This can be supported bytheideathatalllivingthings
haveSPONCHelements.Theseelementsaresulfur,phosphorus,oxygen,nitrogen,carbon,andhydrogen.
The fact that all living things contain these elements really supports the fact that we all came from a
common ancestor and derived from something of some sort. The first forms of life contained these
elements, and the current life forms contain them as well. That means that throughout time, these
beginninglife forms had tohaveevolvedintootherlifeformsandbecomewhattheyaretoday.Withthis
in mind, this brings about how embryology ties into this all. While embryology is the study of how
embryos of life form and develop, a lotof living things lead tozygotesto embryos, and theygenerally
have same looking resemblances in their formation. The fact that somany livingthingsresemble each
other whentheyareformingtobecomealivingthing,itshowsthattheymusthavecomefromsomething


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that looked like them at one pointin time, suggestingevolution took place for this toeven be possible.
For example, take homologous andanalogous structures.Homologous structures are when living things
have similar body structures, but they dont necessarily function the same while analogous structures
arent similar, but are usedfor thesame function.Thesetwoconceptssupportembryologywhich endup
going backto evolution. Howexactly didthese structures becomesosimilar ornonsimilar,andbeused
or not used for the same functions?Take abirdswing for example.Somebirds havewingswithbone
structure that look the same,and you wouldassumeworkthesamein providingaflyingfunction.Some
birds howeverdontuse it tofly,theydontflyatall,whileothersdo.Thisisanexampleofhomologous
structures,andthiswasonlyable tohappenthroughevolutionandthebirdschangingthroughouttimeto
use themfordifferent functions.The theoryofevolutionissoapparentwiththesepiecesofevidence,its
hardtonotbelievethatitiscorrect.
One huge discoverymadeby CharlesDarwinin the Galapagos Islandsis the conceptof natural
selection. He had observed thatindividualswithin populationsthathadmore advantageousphenotypes,
had survivedoverthosewithphenotypes thatwerentinfavorwith theenvironment.Theindividualsthat
survive then reproduce then passing on thetraitsto the offspring,allowingevolution totake itscourse.
Evolutionandnaturalselectionworkhandinhand,andwithoutevolutionsayingthatlivingthingschange
over time, natural selection wouldnt be abletomakesense, butthefactthatitdoesmakesense makes
evolutionlogical.
Nowofcoursetherearethoseouttherewhodisagreewithevolution,andhavetheirownevidence
to support their theoriesinwhichevolution doesnotexist. Apieceofevidencethatisfoundthatargues
against evolution. A living organismcannotbemade fromnonlivingmatter.Thisagaincounteractswith
how lifeat allstarted.InStanleyMillers abioticexperiment,he hadtookalltheelementsfoundinearly
earth conditions,and putthem ina closedenvironmenttoresembleandrecreateearlyearth.Generallyhe
had this controlledenvironmentsettingto whereherecreatedhowlifehadsupposedly started,whichwas


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fromlightningexcitingthe electrons,thus makingaveryverysimplelifeform.Thisiswidelybelievedby

manypeople, and thiswhole experimentreallysupportsandisahugepieceofevidence goingagainstthe
factthatlivingthingscanarisefromthenonliving,andthatevolutiondoesindeedexist.
There are many pieces of evidence tosupportandgoagainst the theoryofevolution,but many
piecesofevidencein supportofevolutionmakemoresenseinaway.Ofcoursenaturalselection,Stanley
Millers experiment, embryology, homologous/analogous structures, and SPONCH are huge pieces of
evidencethatmakea lotofsensethatevolutionismorethanatheory.Whetherornotpeoplebelievethis
position isuptothemindividually,buttakingalookatthefactsandevidencecan giveaproper insightto
this.


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WorksCited
"Evidence againstEvolution(conciseandShort)."
EvidenceagainstEvolution(conciseandShort)
.N.p.,
n.d.Web.22May2014.