Macro and Micro evolution for dummies.

[John V]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleic_acid
Nucleic acids are large biological molecules essential for all known forms of life. They include DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). Together with proteins, nucleic acids are the most important biological macromolecules; each is found in abundance in all living things, where they function in encoding, transmitting and expressing genetic information.

[Kirbmarc]

When it comes to storing information, hard drives don't hold a candle to DNA. Our genetic code packs billions of gigabytes into a single gram. A mere milligram of the molecule could encode the complete text of every book in the Library of Congress and have plenty of room to spare. All of this has been mostly theoretical—until now. In a new study, researchers stored an entire genetics textbook in less than a picogram of DNA—one trillionth of a gram—an advance that could revolutionize our ability to save data.

It's a figure of speech, again. The genes trigger chemical reactions, not a list of instructions.

[The Grand Nudger]

Yep, and dirt is also found in abundance, encoding, transmitting, and expressing geological information.
(he already realizes that Kirb)

[pocaracas]

How did you get that many difffernet colors? This is the best I can do, or are there more specifications for the first box that can't be done automatically?

Code:

[color=#FF0000]Red[/color] [color=#483D8B]Purple[/color] [color=#0000CD]Blue[/color]

ok, learn cause I don't last forever.
The colors are encoded in 256 levels of RGB components. And IT geeks like to use hexadecimal just so they write less characters; in hex, 0 is 0, a is 10, b is 11,... f is 15, 10 is 16, 1f is 31, .... ff is 255. From 0 to ff, you have 256 different levels.
That "color=#" has the three RGB components in order, the first 2 characters are for red, the second 2 are for green and the last 2 are for blue.
All I did was start the red at ff and the blue at 00 and end the red at 00 and the blue at ff.... and fill all 256 levels in between.

Ok, end OT!


micro- and macro-evolution, two concepts introduced by someone some time ago, just to confuse people.

Besides "phenotype information storage", DNA also contains some on/off switches for this phenotype.

As such, the evolution of a species, underlying DNA code, can occur by different processes:
Sometime, evolution happens by actual phenotype change by mutation/error in copy/whatever;
Sometimes, evolution just triggers the on/off switches...

Most of them have very little effect, some few end up having a great effect... micro and macro.... whatever you want to call it.

[popeyespappy]

This is done in 256 steps, due to the 8bit/primary color nature of our displays.

I believe that originally it was. The person that wrote it used to post on .com. The first time it was posted they talked about what a pain in the ass it was. That was maybe 3 years ago. I've seen it several times since but always as a graphic (probably a screen capture) since it was first posted.

[catfish]

[Gooders1002]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleic_acid
Nucleic acids are large biological molecules essential for all known forms of life. They include DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). Together with proteins, nucleic acids are the most important biological macromolecules; each is found in abundance in all living things, where they function in encoding, transmitting and expressing genetic information.

Just a side note: Wikipedia is not 100% accurate if you want to know why just look up the leverson report/inquiry (hint: its a high cockup)

[John V]

Just a side note: Wikipedia is not 100% accurate

Sure, that's why I also linked to a Science article. Here's another:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21171/

Disable Glossary Links
NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
Berg JM, Tymoczko JL, Stryer L. Biochemistry. 5th edition. New York: W H Freeman; 2002.

By agreement with the publisher, this book is accessible by the search feature, but cannot be browsed.
Bookshelf ID: NBK21171
Chapter 5DNA, RNA, and the Flow of Genetic Information
Figure
Having genes in common accounts for the resemblance of a mother and her daughters. Genes must be expressed to exert an effect, and proteins regulate such expression. One such regulatory protein, a zinc-finger protein (zinc ion is blue, protein is red), (more...)
DNA and RNA are long linear polymers, called nucleic acids, that carry information in a form that can be passed from one generation to the next. These macromolecules consist of a large number of linked nucleotides, each composed of a sugar, a phosphate, and a base. Sugars linked by phosphates form a common backbone, whereas the bases vary among four kinds. Genetic information is stored in the sequence of bases along a nucleic acid chain. [Emphasis in original]

As I said earlier, this isn't controversial. It's pretty basic stuff. I presume my opponents made a knee-jerk opposition to me, assuming that a dumb ol' Christian can't know anything about evolution. Speaking of which, the blogosphere had this interesting bit two days ago:
http://www.provingthenegative.com/2012/1...o-you.html
In particular:

In fact, one study done by a former graduate student at my department at Harvard showed that people who endorse the theory of evolution don't understand it any better than those that deny it.

[Kirbmarc]

As I said earlier, this isn't controversial. It's pretty basic stuff.

Saying that species are selected is also non controversial. Both are analogies. There is no one who actively selects species, and no one who actively stores informations into genes.

If you insist in taking a literalist view and believe that genes are actually programmed to store informations (instead of triggering chemical reaction), the problem is yours, not mine.

ssuming that a dumb ol' Christian can't know anything about evolution.

I didn't assume anything. I explained what I mean several times, and each time you ignored my explanations and post links that you think might invalidate my position when they actually express exactly what I said.

You, however, made some pretty quick and offensive assumptions because of typo. Don't play the victim now.

[John V]

Saying that species are selected is also non controversial.

Actually that statement is somewhat controversial. Google "evolution unit of selection" and learn something. Here's one place to start:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/selection-units/

Both are analogies. There is no one who actively selects species, and no one who actively stores informations into genes.

And there was no one who argued either of those positions, so what's your point?