Skip to main content

What is the point of evolution in bacteria?


This is yet another question I was asked. The idea was that bacteria aren’t becoming complex organisms “on the way”, so what is the point?

This is like another question often asked by sceptics “If humans evolved from monkeys, how come there are no monkeys becoming humans nowadays?” The Earth is a rich place, rich with resources, rich with diversity. Humans did not evolve from monkeys, it’s not like monkeys are living in the past and we are living in the present. We all live in the present, and monkeys have spent time evolving like we have. Monkeys are adapted to their environment, and we are to ours, and bacteria are to theirs. Could you live off bananas, in a tree? Could you turn water, carbon dioxide and light into food? No. There are many different niches on Earth, each of which is inhabited by different organisms. Hot springs, dry deserts, deep oceans, high mountains and an airplane are all very different places. Why would there only be one species?? We are complex for our environment, but we are not universally adaptable to anything. We CAN live in deep oceans, but that’s not our home address.

Back to the question. The point of evolution in bacteria is to have bacteria live. If that so happens to increase their complexity due to their environment and the selection pressures present (which are due to more basic, chemical or physical factors and properties), then that’s just a side effect. Food for thought.

Comments

  1. My question regarding bacteria was about "How" evolution exerts itself on bacteria compared to multicellular species; I never said "why"! In another word, I'm not skeptic of evolution at all but I'm considering myself one of many who want to fine tune the definition of evolution.
    Evolution is our generalization of the following;
    A) In fact the laws of subatomic physics govern the electron-orbital sharing to occur in the spacetime sequencing. Therefore all molecular events, including organic ones, are governed by these laws.

    B) Also the laws of electro-thermodynamics result in consequential (evolutionary) events in protoplasm/cytoplasm or any other biologically noticeable event. DNA, RNA, enzymes, buffers, cytoplasm, proteins,neural fluxing,,,,,,are all products & outcomes of the (A) & (B) together. What we call evolution is nothing but the consequences of these laws at work but during geo-ecosystemic time periods. Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with you there...

    But why anonymous? :P

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comment...

Popular posts from this blog

4 Reasons Google's Calico Won't "Solve Death"

The on-line world has been taken ablaze by Calico's bid to end ageing, and thus death itself, but is this what they will actually focus on, and will they achieve it? The fact is ageing will be reversed, and death by "natural causes" will go with it. The questions are "When?" and "By whom?". Until recently, not a lot was known about the approach Calico would take in this venture dubbed "moonshot thinking" - a term touted by Google as the source of all considerable human progress throughout history. This we don't doubt, but is this what Calico is all about? CNN's Dan Primack has revealed details about Calico's plan , which hint at a less-than-moonshot thinking approach, and cast a serious question mark on its ability to deliver the punchy TIME headline. Here is why: 1. The man with the idea, Bill Maris, arrived at the conclusion that the root of all death-causing disease is simply ageing itself. Not only is this widely

The evolution of the human body

In order to be able to look at ourselves in the mirror and be able to answer the question "Why do I look like this?", we must look back to our ancestry and their lifestyle, over a very long period of time. For the purpose of this analysis, let's look at the human versus the neanderthal. Recently there have been found neanderthal genes within the human gene pool, but the two species are different enough to compare, yet not too different (human versus fly would be too different). As you can see, the construction of the human pelvis and toes is different, and the human has less hair. This results in humans being able to run easily for long distances, in the detriment of short-distance running which we are worse at. We sweat better, so we can do more long-term effort. This feat is essential to better settlements, as we can discover a larger area with potentially better resources. It might seem counterproductive to not be able to run quickly for a short period, when it come

First Blog, Ever.

Before we start to explore evolution, let me outline what this blog is about, and what approaches it will take. Most people are aware of the theory of evolution. However, the predominant context of it has been restricted to the animal kingdom, and the most obvious animal of all has been ommitted: you, the human. Us, Homo sapiens. Articles of so-called "evolutionary psychology" may jump up in your head right now. Something about the colours women wear, or the jobs men want. Something about sex, something about money. Something silly. This blog aims to explore the fundamental principles of life and evolution, and apply them to the surrounding world, with an emphasis on humans. This blog aims to challenge evolutionary psychology with evolutionary biology. This blog aims to cast light on many dark areas such as: What is the cause, course and effect of life? Are there principles which apply to all forms of life, on Earth and other places in the Universe? Can we predict life fo