Homology

The emergence of cytochrome oxidase is considered to be a very important event in evolutionary history. However, not much is known on the development and emergence of this enzyme. Molecular data demonstrates how cytochrome oxidase emerged before the divergence of archaea and bacteria, and well before the great oxidation event. This paper proposes a research plan to investigate the origins of cytochrome oxidase. Background Throughout the three domains of life, a variety of metabolisms are present…

Reaction paper 1 The article, Darwin’s Rib, by Robert S. Root-Bernstein was fascinating to me. My personal reaction to the reading was one of surprise. When I read that the student in Dr. Root-Bernstein’s class believed that “males have one fewer pair of ribs than females” (Root-Bernstein 2010: 53), I was shocked. As someone who is invested in scientific information, I found her reasoning odd and unfounded. She had based her knowledge of scientific facts off a personal religious assumption. I…

Although there are four viewpoints portrayed in this book, some tend to agree but on opposite ends of the topic. I will start with the ones who, contrary to the last chapter when they were the ones on opposite sides, completely disagree. Professor David Davies is an evolutionary biologist, so naturally on this position, he is for evolution. Davies starts his argument with mentioning that there are many different organisms on the planet and that they all share a common ancestor. Davies also…

Essay on Judge Jones decision In this essay I will be examining Judge Jones’ decision with regard to the demarcation problem as it relates to Intelligent Design. I will do this by examining his conclusion, then trying to see the method of how he got to that conclusion by looking at his premises, when I have reconstructed the argument that he is making, I will then evaluate the strength of the premises and validity of the argument to see whether or not he should have reached that conclusion with…

Proteins are large, complex molecules found throughout the body. They are polymers made out of different types of small unites called amino acids. Each amino acid consists of a central carbon atom, which is attached to a hydrogen atom, an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a unique side chain or R group. There are twenty different types of amino acids and each one of them has different chemical properties. Amino acids are held together by covalent peptide bonds therefore the proteins, chains of…

interact and receive signals with other proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that are outside the cell. Polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 helps with the development of the kidney and its function. “PKD2 encodes polycystin 2, and integral membrane protein with homology to the voltage- activated sodium and calcium a1 channels” (Thompson & Thompson, 2007). The PKD2 gene makes the protein polycystin-2, which is regulated by polycystin-1. When polycystin-1 interacts with polycystin-2 it instructs the cell…

Plant proteases with excellent catalytical properties perform many functions in biological systems. Vallaris solanacea, a new plant protease has been identified and screened effectively for its caseinolytic activity. This protein activity was specifically inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate, which showed that it is a cysteine protease. Preliminary investigations such as effect of pH and temperature on the caseinolytic activity of crude protease were done. Stability towards temperature and pH…

PTEN regulation of PI3K/AKT Pathway In the first lecture of class we discussed a diagram from Saltiel and Kahn 2001. The diagram presented the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and Serine/Threonine Kinase (AKT)/ Protein Kinase B (PKB) pathway inhibition of the insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate (IRS) through activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and a recent study reports similar findings (Mathew et al. 2016; Saltiel and Kahn 2001). Activation of PI3K/AKT signaling…

Of the four organic macromolecules deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a nucleic acid. DNA is a double-stranded molecule comprised of numerous nucleotides covalently bound together. Nucleotides contain a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogenous bases. The four nitrogenous bases are adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). To construct DNA’s double helix, hydrogen bonds form between two complementary nitrogenous bases. These bonds only form between adenine…

Introduction In her presentation of theological economy, namely, the economy of grace, Kathryn Tanner investigates the practical implications of her incarnational dogmatic enterprise. I concur with Tanner’s claim of the urgent need of an economy of grace as I take into account the ever-growing gap of wealth between the rich and the poor as well as the Global North and the Global South. Furthermore, as George Harvey rightly diagnoses, it seems to be the unbridled desire for private…