Evolution: DNA And The Unity Of Life - Learn Genetics @ Utah

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Evolution: DNA and the Unity of LifeView Teach.Genetics for Classroom Materials

Shared Biochemistry

What shapes the characteristics of all living things?IntroductionvideoSame gene, different organism

Learn about two bioengineering examples: fish that make a glowing jellyfish protein, and yeast that make spider silk.

Why can living things decode the information in each other's genes?To answer this question, we need to dive into the basics. What are genes, anyway? And how do living things read the information in genes to build proteins?videoWhat are Proteins?

Learn about proteins, the molecules living things are made of.

interactive exploreTypes of Proteins

Explore the types of proteins and learn about their varied functions.

videoWhat are DNA and genes?

Get to know the molecule that holds the instructions for building every living thing.

interactive exploreBuild a DNA molecule

Find out how the DNA code letters A, C, G, and T make a DNA molecule by building one yourself.

videoHow a firefly's tail makes light

Walk through protein synthesis with this animated example.

interactive exploreTranscribe and Translate a Gene

See how cells "read" the information in a DNA sequence to build a protein—in a bit more detail.

classroom resourcesPaper Transcription and TranslationIf organisms build proteins the same way, do they build the same proteins?videoShared Functions, Shared Genes

Take a closer look at the unity of life: the basic functions required for life, and the genes and proteins that underlie them.

How does science defeat bias?Science isn't a collection of facts. It's a process that people use to learn about the world.videoThe Trouble With Cognitive Bias

Our brains are very clever, but they also use some shortcuts that lead to wrong assumptions. Learn how science helps to defeat these natural, inborn biases.

Natural Selection

How do species change over time?Can traits of populations change over time?videoRock Pocket Mice

Meet the rock pocket mouse: a little rodent that gets a lot of attention.

interactive exploreReproductive Advantage Simulation

Whether a trait is an advantage or not depends on context.

What is natural selection?Not all change over time is the result of natural selection. videoRecipe for Natural Selection

Learn about the three things that make natural selection happen: variability, heritability, and reproductive advantage.

Is natural selection changing the traits in a population of fish in Loberg Lake?videoMeet the Threespine Stickleback

Learn about this little fish, and why a particular population in an Alaskan lake drew researchers' interest.

videoAdaptation

The consequence of mutation, allele shuffling, and natural selection acting over time is that populations tend to be well-adapted to their environments.

Common Ancestry

What is the evidence that living species evolved from common ancestral species?IntroductionvideoTree Diagrams

This video introduces tree diagrams - models that organize hypotheses about common ancestry.

How do scientists use multiple lines of evidence to learn about common ancestry?Scientists use four interrelated lines of evidence to make hypotheses about evolutionary relationships: anatomy, fossils, embryos, and DNA.classroom resourcesFish or Mammals?interactive exploreEvidence for Common Ancestry

See a quick overview of some of the evidence that scientists have used to understand evolutionary relationships across the tree of life.

Why does DNA evidence agree with the other lines of evidence for common ancestry?exploreCommon Ancestry: It's in our DNA

Find out what DNA has to do with anatomy, embryological development, and fossils.

interactive explorePhylogenetic Tree

How many genes do chickens and moss have in common? It may be more than you think.

Heredity

How do the differences arise in DNA that lead to differences in characteristics of organisms?IntroductionexploreCanine Similarities and Differences

Take a moment to think about the characteristics of species, breeds, and individual dogs.

How do variations in DNA arise?Learn about mutation, and how these changes in DNA influence an individual's inherited characteristics.videoWhat is Mutation?

Take a look at how variation occurs.

classroom resourcesMutate a DNA Sequenceclassroom resourcesHLA-B Proteininteractive exploreThe Outcome of Mutation

Small changes to DNA can lead to big variations in traits.

videoHow Often Do Mutations Happen?

Follow the math in this real-life example to see why, given enough time, even very specific DNA changes are highly likely.

How does sexual reproduction contribute to variation in a population?videoWhat is Inheritance?

Learn how traits pass from parents to offspring.

videoAllele Shuffling

See how variations in genes, called alleles, are shuffled with each generation to make new gene combinations.

classroom resourcesBuild-A-BirdWhat are the benefits of genetic variation?videoGenetic Variation

Even in species that look alike to us, individuals have variations in their DNA. Learn why this is important.

Speciation

How does natural selection lead to the formation of new species?What makes a species?videoWhat Is a Species?

This video explains why 'species' is such a tricky concept to define.

exploreReproductive Barriers

As this collection of real-life examples demonstrates, not all barriers are physical.

Are flies from apple and hawthorn fruits becoming two different species?videoHawthorns to Apples

Get familiar with a real-life example that offers a rare opportunity to observe speciation in real time.

interactive exploreBears, Species & DNA

Learn what DNA evidence can tell us about the evolutionary history of species.

What happens when the same processes act over longer time scales?You've seen how mutation, allele shuffling, and natural selection can change populations over decades or centuries. But what happens after a few billion years?videoUnity and Diversity of Life

The underlying pattern of evolution is that ancestral species diversify, giving rise to new lineages.

Related Resources

videoThings You May Not Know About Evolution

See many common misconceptions about evolution, explained.

exploreGeologic Time

Scroll through the span of geologic time from the Earth's origin to the present day.

exploreAll Living Things Are Related

Fossils, embryos, and DNA teach us about the unity of life.

interactive exploreTracking Traits Through Time

See when and where new characteristics evolved in the animal family tree.

exploreArtificial Vs. Natural Selection

Humans have been selecting for desirable traits in organisms throughout history.

exploreEvolution of Corn

Small changes in genes of a wild grass have yielded one of today's most vital crops.

• Credits
• Funding

  This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DRL-1222869 and DRL-1418136.

  Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.