Day 1: Developmental Biologists

Ms. Liu

Biology

10/3/11

Vocabulary: Triple Journal Entry

• Embryology – The study of early developmental biology before an organism is born or hatched

• Embryo – Prebirth stage of developing organism

• Vertebrates – Animals with a backbone/spine

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

• DNA IS THE CODE FOR LIFE!!!!

• It is unique and different for everyone, every species, and every different type of cell

DNA Comparison

How similar is the DNA of hemoglobin in humans vs. primates?

• Calculate:% similar = (# DNA bases same) x 100 total # DNA bases (60)

***Make sure you know this equation!

Homework:

• On last page, calculate the % similar for the DNA of:

1) Human vs. chimpanzee

2) Human vs. gorilla

3) Human vs. orangutan

Day 2: Physical Anthropologist

10/4/11

Physical Anthropology

• The study of evolutionary history of humans and our closest relatives, non human primates and hominids

Day 3: Paleontologists

10/5/11

Vocabulary

• Paleontology - The study of fossils and the history of life (to understand geological and biological change!)

• Stratigraphy – Indirect method of dating rocks and fossils

• Strata – Layers of earth

Strata

Questions

• Which strata is the oldest? The youngest?

• Where will you find each fossil type in the strata? What can you infer about the location of the fossils?

• Look at the similarities and differences between the fossils. What can you tell about their evolution?

• (Pay close attention to the foot, size, and spine

Day 4: Evolutionary Biologists

10/6/11

Evolutionary biology

• The study of the evolution of inherited traits, such as appendages, and how they changed over time

Homologous Structures

• Compare the bird wing, the bat wing, and the human hand.

• These are HOMOLOGOUS STRUCTURES – Structures with similar bones that have the same use for different organisms

Vestigial Structures

• Are structures have evolved over time to be smaller and are no longer of any use.

• Basically these part have no function!

• EX: Penguin’s wings and wisdom teeth

In your science journals:

• Write a paragraph explaining the “inherited traits” for the appendage bones:

• What are the similarities and differences between our arm bone structure compared to that of the bird and bat wing?