EVOLUTION AND ORIGIN OF LIFE

AND
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE
 EVOLUTION AND ORIGIN OF LIFE
one of the biggest paradoxes of life is the
question on how everything on life earth began.
among the stars in the universe, how could the
very first spark of life exist here on our planet?
old hypotheses are evaluated, new theories are
proposed frequently, and innovative ways of
showing evidence on how early life forms began
to exist are constantly pursued.
 TWO TENETS OF EVOLUTION
First, evolution explains the major
principles in biology. Like what we already
know, all living things are descendants of
organisms that lived more than two billion years
ago (this particular concept will be further
elaborated on the next chapter of this book).
Comprehending the processes and changes
through time from our ancestors down to their
 Second, evolution is a dynamic and
multifaceted area of research (evolutionary
biology). In general, any evolutionary biologist
aims to comprehensively understand what causes
evolution (microevolution) and explain the history
of all life forms on earth specifically, the
relatedness of any species to other species
 CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE
Cellular complexity.
All living things are composed of either one or more
cells that are highly complex yet organized and enclosed
within membranes.
Growth and development.
Living things use energy to grow by metabolizing
compounds by cellular respiration or photosynthesis.
Organisms also undergo different life stages, which follow a
systematic process from birth to maturity.
Reproduction.
Continuity of life would definitely be impossible
without reproduction. We know that no organism can live
forever: however, through this fundamental quality, life
continues and traits are passed on from generation to
generation. Organisms possess a system of complicated yet
intricate genetic system based on biochemical processes of
the DNA, this mechanism is passed on from generation to
generation allowing organisms to survive and evolve over
long periods of time.
• Irritability (response to stimuli).
All organisms are very sensitive to different stimuli-
may it be environmental or physiological. This may refer
to any form of response or movement to stimuli in its
own volition (dubecket al, 2004).
•Homeostasis.
Living things maintain relatively constant internal
conditions which are different from their environment.