Evidence for evolution using comparative biochemistry
One piece of evidence for evolution using comparative biochemistry is the presence of homologous molecules across different species. Homologous molecules are structures that are similar in different species due to their common ancestry. By comparing the amino acid sequences of proteins or the nucleotide sequences of DNA in different species, scientists can determine the degree of similarity between them.
For example, the hemoglobin protein, which is responsible for carrying oxygen in the blood, is found in all vertebrates. By comparing the amino acid sequences of hemoglobin from different species, scientists have found that the protein is very similar in closely related species, such as humans and chimpanzees, but becomes increasingly different in more distant species, such as humans and fish.
Another piece of evidence comes from comparative genomics, which involves comparing the entire genome of different species. By studying the genomes of different species, scientists can identify ancestral genes that have been preserved throughout evolution. For example, the gene for insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels, is highly conserved across different species. This suggests that the gene has been passed down from a common ancestor and has undergone only minor changes over millions of years of evolution.
Overall, the comparison of biochemical molecules across different species provides strong evidence for evolution by demonstrating the relationships between organisms and their shared ancestry.