Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Sequence Networks of Rotating Machines01:24

Sequence Networks of Rotating Machines

A Y-connected synchronous generator, grounded through a neutral impedance, is designed to produce balanced internal phase voltages with only positive-sequence components. The generator's sequence networks include a source voltage that is exclusively in the positive-sequence network. The sequence components of line-to-ground voltages at the generator terminals illustrate this configuration.
Zero-sequence current induces a voltage drop across the generator's neutral impedance and other...
Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.The structures that arise from convergent evolution are called analogous structures. They are similar in function even if they are dissimilar in structure. Further, structures can be analogous while also...
Genetic Drift03:33

Genetic Drift

Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.Life is not fair. A deer grazing contentedly in a field can have her meal cut tragically short by a bolt of lightning. If the doomed doe is one of only three in the population, 1/3 of the population’s gene pool is lost. Random events like this can...
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...
Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.For one, natural selection can only act upon existing genetic variation. Hypothetically, redtusks may enhance elephant survival by deterring ivory-seeking poachers. However, if there are no gene variants—or alleles—for redtusks, natural selection cannot increase the prevalence of...
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes01:24

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Human bipedalism and body-mass index.

Scientific reports·2017
Same author

Maximum entropy, word-frequency, Chinese characters, and multiple meanings.

PloS one·2015
Same author

50 years of inordinate fondness.

Systematic biology·2013
Same author

Replicator dynamics with turnover of players.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2013
Same author

Residual discrete symmetry of the five-state clock model.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2013
Same author

Equilibrium strategy and population-size effects in lowest unique bid auctions.

Physical review letters·2012
Same journal

Epidemiological characteristics of amebiasis in Japan from 2001 to 2022.

PloS one·2026
Same journal

Longitudinal associations of academic stress with eating related patterns, nutrition, somatic indicators, and depressive symptoms in university students: A study protocol.

PloS one·2026
Same journal

Pollution removal efficiency enhancement by agricultural biomass additions in constructed wetlands: A framework integrating meta-analysis with explainable machine learning.

PloS one·2026
Same journal

Insulation failure mapping on power transformer bushing using FRA and electrostatic simulation.

PloS one·2026
Same journal

Enhancing medical Q&A systems with multimodal knowledge graphs and dual-layer attention mechanisms.

PloS one·2026
Same journal

UAMP: Consistent video object segmentation with uncertainty-aware memory propagation.

PloS one·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
15:00

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Published on: August 18, 2023

The blind watchmaker network: scale-freeness and evolution.

Petter Minnhagen1, Sebastian Bernhardsson

  • 1Department of Theoretical Physics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.

Plos One
|February 28, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cell metabolism networks exhibit random structures, suggesting minimal evolutionary pressure on their degree distribution. This finding challenges traditional views on biological network evolution and the origin of scale-free networks.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
15:00

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Published on: August 18, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Systems Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Network Science

Background:

  • Cellular metabolism networks are crucial for life.
  • Understanding the evolutionary pressures shaping these networks is key.
  • Network degree distribution is a fundamental network property.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the degree distribution of metabolic networks in simple organisms.
  • To compare these distributions with random network models.
  • To infer the role of natural selection in shaping metabolic network evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of degree distribution in metabolic networks.
  • Comparison with a proposed 'blind watchmaker' random network model.
  • Statistical analysis of network states and link configurations.

Main Results:

  • Metabolic networks show a power-law degree distribution, similar to random networks.
  • The 'blind watchmaker' random network model accurately predicts metabolic network distributions.
  • Minimal evolutionary pressure on degree distribution is inferred.

Conclusions:

  • Metabolic network evolution may be largely driven by inherent randomness rather than strong selection.
  • Randomness plays a significant role in the emergence of scale-free properties in biological networks.
  • This provides a new perspective on the origin of scale-free networks in general.