Question

Write 2-3 paragraphs, no more than a page in length, that answer the following:

1. Using your anatomical information, hypothesize about the evolutionary relationships of these four organisms (humans, rats, elephants, and dolphins). Describe traits that can group some of them together and traits that make each of them unique when compared to the others.
2. Which of the three non-human organisms do you think would be best suited for research on a drug that might help humans fight cancer? Explain your answer. (Note that you can take anatomical, physiological, and ethical considerations into account.)
3. Which of the three non-human organisms do you think would be best suited for research on mitochondrial disorders and their effect on ATP production? Explain your answer. (Same as above, you can take a variety of factors into account.)

Answer 1

Answer 1: Traits that can group some of them together are:

Although, brain and body size in the primates are diverse in nature but, it is yet provided us with the great evolutionary relationships among them.

As, humans we are at our biggest evolutionary success with our cognitive abilities whereas, dolphins, and elephants have also shown the relations to showcase their high cognitive functions that prove the usage of their intelligence and highly utilized brain. These are among all of those that are known for their similarities in terms of big brains and high cognitive levels. Because of their adaptive evolution as a response via their nervous system genes that is based on mostly quality and not quantity.

Traits that make each of them unique when compared to the others are:

• Dolphins: can easily make communications and can produce their “signature whistle “. This whistle is a sign for other individuals to make a note of their recognition.They are also altruistic in nature. That shows they are compassionate behavior that allows them to live and help their other injured fellows, even they can extend their helping behavior to other species as well.
• Rodents (rats) possess a unique kind of specially designed upper and lower incisors. These can grow almost 5 inches every year and continues to grow a lifetime. They also possess the unique ability to expand and contracting their tail to keep them cool.
• While in the case of elephants, they show larger flexibility when it comes to taking sleep. They can only sleep four hours per night and yet are functional. They may even spend half of the duration of their sleep while standing up. They possess great memory and can even remember someone and recognize them after, even several years later!
• Humans are unique among all the primates mainly as; they can walk fully upright while performing locomotory actions. Another extraordinary feature is the brain, which makes humans much superior in the entire animal kingdom. This structure of the brain of almost only 3 pounds can make amazing inventions and provide us the ability to reason and think critically.

Answer 2: Three non-human organisms best suited for research on a drug that might help humans fight cancer:

Some of the organisms that can be effectively used for chemotherapeutic discovery could be possible, yeast, Drosophila, and zebrafish. As they offer distinct advantages. They became the popular models for study and research because of their features like genetic amenability, low-cost expense, and culture conditions are suitable and compatible that can help us obtain large-scale screening. As already much research on these, organisms are already done. This provides us with a large amount of relevant data regarding the Fully mapped genomes and detailed phenotypic reports for mutant types that fulfills the requirements of rapid identification of molecular targets, and many such related other protocols and procedures etc.

Answer 3: Three non-human organisms best suited for research on mitochondrial disorders and their effect on ATP production:

Extensive mitochondrial structure and its functions offers many unique properties that help us to understand the human mitochondrial disorders and their effect on ATP production.

Three non-human organisms can be E. coli, C. elegans, and S. cerevisiae.

• As E. coli are unicellular bacteria in which the effective investigation of mitochondrial respiratory chain protein structure and function is possible. E. coli offers itself as a valuable tool to carry out gene manipulation especially for site-specific mutagenesis.
• Similarly, S. cerevisiae is a single-celled eukaryote that can easily grow effectively to show mitochondrial-dependent respiration or its ethanol fermentation process which is considered to be the boon for investigating the mitochondrial functionality or effectiveness. It is one of the powerful tools for studying diverse cellular functions, for example, mitochondrial biogenesis, etc.
• C. elegans, being a multicellular and of a microscopic level. This tiny worm can be used for in vitro and in vivo studies and research about the primary respiratory chain. This can be used effectively to understand the dysfunctions of mitochondria and potent therapies that can work on humans. One of the most convenient reasons for using it is its ease of manipulation which is mainly based on this organism proceeding from an egg through four larval stages to reach adulthood only within 3 days or lesser than that.