Biochemical Evidence For Evolution Lab
Biochemical Evidence For Evolution Lab
Biochemical Evidence For Evolution Lab
Procedure
Part A~ Amino Acid Sequence TABLE1. NUMBEROF AMINO ACID
SEQUENCEDIFFERENCES
Figure 2 on page 110 represents the amino
acid sequence of corresponding portions of the ORGANISMS NUMBEROF DIFFERENCES
hemoglobin molecules of horses, gorillas, and
humans. ' Gorilla
and human
Horse
. Read the amino acid sequences from left to right and human
begjnning at the upper left-hand comer of Figure Gorilla
2. Compare the sequences of humans to the and horse
sequences of gorillas and horses. An example of a
sequence difference between humans and gorillas
is shown in Figure 1. Part B. Numbers of Amino Acids
. Count the number ofeachkind of amino acidin
human hemoglobin. Record the totals in the
. Record in Table 1 the total number of dif- proper column of Table 2.
ferences in the sequences of gorilla and human
amino acids. Then repeat this procedure for horse . Count each amino acid in the hemoglobin of
and human, and for gorilla and horse. gorillas and horses. Recordthese in Table 2.
~
Horse: Val His Pro
} this is a sequence difference between gorilla and horse.
Human: Val His Leu Thr Pro Glu Glu Lys Ser Ala Val Thr Ala Leu Try
Gorilla: Val His Leu Thr Pro Glu Glu Lys Ser Ala Val Thr Ala Leu Try
Horse: Val Glu Leu Ser Gly Glu Glu Lys Ala Ala Val Leu Ala Leu Try
Human: Gly Lys Val Asp Val Asp Glu Val Gly Gly Glu Ala Leu Gly Arg
Gorilla: Gly Lys Val Asp Val Asp Glu Val Gly Gly Glu Ala Leu Gly Arg
Horse: Asp Lys Val Asp Glu Glu Glu Val Gly Gly Glu Ala Leu Gly Arg
Human: Leu Leu Val Val Tyr Pro Try Thr Glu Arg Phe Phe Glu Ser Phe
Gorilla: Leu Leu Val Val Tyr Pro Try Thr Glu Arg Phe Phe Glu Ser Phe
Horse: Leu Leu Val Val Tyr Pro Try Thr Glu Arg Phe Phe Asp Ser Phe
Human: Gly Asp Leu Ser Thr Pro Asp Ala Val Met Gly Asp Pro Lys Val
Gorilla: Gly Asp Leu Ser Thr Pro Asp Ala Val Met Gly Asp Pro Lys Val
Horse: Gly Asp Leu Ser Asp Pro Gly Ala Val Met Gly Asp Pro Lys Val
Human: Lys Ala His Gly Lys Lys Val Leu Gly Ala Phe Ser Asp Gly Leu
Gorilla: Lys Ala His Gly Lys Lys Val Leu Gly Ala Phe Ser Asp Gly Leu
Horse: Lys Ala His Gly Lys Lys Val Leu His Ser Phe Gly Glu Gly Val
Human: Ala His Leu Asp Asp Leu Lys Gly Thr Phe Ala Thr Leu Ser Glu
Gorilla: Ala His Leu Asp Asp Leu Lys Gly Thr Phe Ala Thr Leu Ser Glu
Horse: His His Leu Asp Asp Leu Lys Gly Thr Phe Ala Ala Leu Ser Glu
Human: Leu His Cys Asp Lys Leu His Val Asp Pro Glu Asp Phe Arg Leu
Gorilla: Leu His Cys Asp Lys Leu His Val Asp Pro Glu Asp Phe Leu Leu
Horse: Leu His Cys Asp Lys Leu His Val Asp Pro Glu Asp Phe Arg Leu
Human: Leu Gly Asp Val Leu Val Cys Val Leu Ala His His Phe Gly Lys
Gorilla: Leu Gly Asp Val Leu Val Cys Val Leu Ala His His Phe Gly Lys
Horse: Leu Gly Asp Val Leu Ala Leu Val Val Ala Arg His Phe Gly Lys
Human: Glu Phe Thr Pro Pro Val Glu Ala Ala Tyr Glu Lys Val Val Ala
Gorilla: Glu Phe Thr Pro Pro Val Glu Ala Ala Tyr Glu Lys Val Val Ala
Horse: Asp Phe Thr Pro Glu Leu Glu Ala Ser Tyr Glu Lys Val Val Ala
Human:
.Val Ala Asp Ala Leu Ala His Lys Tyr His
Gly -
-Gorilla: Gly Val Ala Asp Ala Leu Ala His Lys Tyr His
Horse: Gly Val Ala Asp Ala Leu Ala His Lys Tyr His
~~A
Name Date
Alanine Ala
Arginine Arg
,
Aspartic acid Asp
Cysteine Cys
Glycine Gly
Histidine His
leucine Leu
lysine lys
Methionine Met
Phenylalanine Phe
Proline Pro
'C'
Serine Ser
Threonine Thr
Tryptophan Try
Tyrosine Tyr
Valine Val
I
Have students recheck their answers by adding all the amino
acids. Each column should total 146.
Analysis
1. Where is hemoglobin normally found?
2. Circle those words which correctly apply to or describe hemoglobin: protein carbohydrate,
3. How many different kinds of amino acids are present in these three animals' hemoglobin? -
4. lal Which amino acid .is mest-common in all three An;m9]S?
( (bl Which amino acid is next most common in all three Animals?
Icl Which amino acid is the least common in all three Animals?
111
S. Use your data from Table 1 to answer these questions.
,
(al How similar are the amino acid sequences of human and gorilla hemoglobin? -
(b) How similar are human and horse hemoglobin?
10. In numbers, explain how the base sequences (genesI for hemoglobin formation on .)luman
chromosomes differ from those in gorillas; (How many bases are different?)
11. What genetic mechanism may have been responsible for this base sequence change?
12. Give reasons for supponing or rejecting the following statement. Upon examination, segments of
human and gorilla DNA responsible for inheritance of hemoglobin should appear almost chemically
alike.
13. Give reasons for supponing or rejecting the following statement. Evolutionary relationships are
stronger between living organisms which have close biochemical (proteinl similarities than between