thanks anita;) what do you think of this response to the question ‘Why do you think humans share about 1000 genes with prokaryotic cells (cells without membrane and distinct nucleus such as bacteria) ? What functions might the shared cells serve? Think about terms that deal with evolution such as natural selection (nature selects those who can adapt to thrive), competition, etc. in your response ‘

Answer:

Humans and prokaryotic cells could have about 1000 of the same subset of genes because as an organism begins its evolutionary adaptation to the environment, the process of natural selection could lead to the sharing of genes that were formerly successful in thriving in a competitive environment. Over time as populations increase/decrease and climates change, there is competition for resources as well of the ability to survive temperature changes. All organisms derive from a common ancestor and may share certain characteristics that over time could give rise to new species that exhibit similar traits, and because these traits were successful in helping the former organisms survive, they may be passed on. The traits of prokaryotic cells were mostly unicellular and microscopic, however over time some may have joined together in a symbiotic relationship to give rise to multicellular organism or eukaryotes such as humans. The cells and genetic material within the prokaryotic cells could have combined to form many cells that could carry out many specialized tasks. For example, the vestigial structures in humans such as the bones in our arm share similar characteristics to the webbing of bat’s wings. The bones in our arms allows for flexibility of movement and in the bat’s wings may help the bat acquire food and escape from predators. These shared traits allow us to see the changes and continuities of evolutionary diversity as each organism to acquires certain traits to help thrive in their environment.