An attempt to unravel enigma of

evolution
Exceedingly interesting is a comparison of the structure of
one and same the same protein in various organisms . To our
amazement , for instance , there is only a slight difference in
the sequence of amino acids in the hemoglobin molecules of
humans , the horse , the bull and the mosquito .
Insignificant variation in the sequence of amino acids of
important proteins attended the evolution of living organism fro
the lower to higher forms . The course of evolution can be
faithfully traced by studying the molecular structures of
proteins of various animals .
Another important protein - insulin , human insulin is different
from that of a pig by one amino acid and from that of a cow
by three.
Insignificant deviation from normal structure of important
proteins also results in serious diseases . for instance , in
sickle cell anemia , a serious hereditary illness , the hemoglobin
is anomalous: only one amino acid is replaced by another in
the complex chain of this blood protein . ( At present , over
100 human mutant hemoglobins are known to exists )
The amino acid sequence in the polypeptide chain(s) of
protein is called the primary structure . ( Today , primary
structures are known for many hundreds of proteins )
The primary structure of a protein is a kind of text written by
means of a 20 letter alphabet ( Since , all proteins are built
up of 20 types of amino-acid residue .)
The protein text reflects the biological evolution . The
comparison of homologous proteins , which perform the same
functions in different species allows one to disclose the
difference in the primary protein structure . These differences
determined by the mutational amino-acid replacement are
greater , the farther apart are the biological species .
Especially thoroughly studied in this respect is cytochrome-c ,
the protein of the respiratory chain which is universal to all
living organisms . comparison of the primary structure of
cytochrome-c of different kinds of permits one to construct the
evolution tree .
Cytochrome-c is an obligatory participant in the respiration
processes of all living organisms , from yeast cells to human
beings .

Phylum - Chordata
Sr. Class - Mammalia Sr. Class Sr. Class – Aves and
no no -Mammalia No Reptilia
. . .
1 Man 0.0 7 Whale - 1 Penguin 0.00
 0 0.88
2 Rhesus - 8 Kangaro - 2 Hen - 0.05
monkey 0.10 o 0.88
3 Donkey - 9 Dog - 3 Duck - 0.30
0.34 1.06
4 Horse - 10 Elephant - 4 Emu - 0.30
0.43 1.22
5 Pig - 11 Bat - 5 Dove - 0.30
0.58 1.25
6 Rabbit - 6 Tortoise - 0.80
0.66

Note - values of amino acid residues in proteins ( which

characterize their degree of irreplaceability ) is used to
calculate the differences of the overall values of cytochrome-c
of a number of organisms .

On the basis of these data , we may infer that the value of

the protein chain increases during phylogenesis .Of course , we
must not think that the comparison of cytochrome-c can
reflect the greater perfection of human brain as compared
with brains of an animal . The greater value means that the
man has travelled a longer path of evolution .
Nucleic acids , and in the first place DNA, are material
carriers of hereditary information and define the species
specificity of an organism , which has developed in the course
of evolution .
Ample information on the relationship between organisms has
been provided by the DNA molecular hybridization method .
Compositionally , the DNA in humans differ by a mere 2-3 %
from DNA of chimpanzee , a slightly higher difference is
observed for gorilla , more than 10 % difference for the other
monkeys , and nearly 100 % difference for bacteria .
The study of specific features of the DNA nucleotide
composition for various organisms has enabled a passage from
the systematics by outward characters to the genetic
systematics .
This branch of research in the molecular biology is known now
as genosystematics .
A composition of the DNA nucleotide composition for various
organisms has led to rather intriguing conclusions .

The DNA specificity ratio, ( G + C) / ( A + T ) , varies within the

wide range in microorganisms , while being essentially
invariable in higher plants and animals .
If ( A + T ) > ( G + C) , the DNA is said to belong to AT-type : ( G
+ C) > ( A + T ) , the DNA is of GC type .
( A - The amount of adenine , T - The amount of thymine , G -
The amount of guanine , T - The amount of cytosine )
Variability variations in microorganisms are observed from the
extreme GC – type to a distinctly pronounced AT- type . For DNA
of higher organisms , the AT – type is persistently retained .
One might have conceived an idea that the DNA specificity is
lost in higher organisms . As a point of fact , DNA in higher
organisms is as much specific as is DNA in bacteria , but its
specificity is primarily determined by the alternating sequences
of nucleotides along the chain rather than by the variation in
nucleotide composition.
Starting from the DNA nucleotide composition , some scientists
have come to quite interesting conclusions concerning the
origin of multicellular animals and higher plants . DNA of AT-
type of these is close to the DNA of fungi , which allows one
to presume a common ancestor ( primitive fungaceous
organisms ) for animal and fungi .