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The Evidence for Evolution

The Evidence for Evolution

Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.

Convergent Evolution

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.

Eukaryotic Evolution

Eukaryotic Evolution

The endosymbiont theory is the most widely accepted theory of eukaryotic evolution; however, its progression is still somewhat debated. According to the nucleus-first hypothesis, the ancestral prokaryote first evolved a membrane to enclose DNA and form the nucleus. Conversely, the mitochondria-first hypothesis suggests that the nucleus was formed after endosymbiosis of mitochondria.
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...

Synteny and Evolution

Synteny and Evolution

John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral...

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Evolution of Staircase Structures in Diffusive Convection

Evolution of Staircase Structures in Diffusive Convection

Published on: September 5, 2018

Evolution of Structural DNA Nanotechnology.

Sami Nummelin¹, Juhana Kommeri¹, Mauri A Kostiainen¹

¹Biohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, 00076, Aalto, Finland.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)

|January 25, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Structural DNA nanotechnology has advanced significantly, enabling custom nanostructures with sophisticated design software. This progress opens new avenues for applications in materials science and nanomedicine.

Keywords:

computer-aided design nanotechnology nucleic acids programmable materials self-assembly

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Molecular Evolution of the Tre Recombinase

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Last Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Evolution of Staircase Structures in Diffusive Convection

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Published on: September 5, 2018

Highly Stable, Functional Hairy Nanoparticles and Biopolymers from Wood Fibers: Towards Sustainable Nanotechnology

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Molecular Evolution of the Tre Recombinase

Molecular Evolution of the Tre Recombinase

Published on: May 29, 2008

Area of Science:

Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
Molecular Engineering

Background:

Structural DNA nanotechnology emerged in the early 1980s with the demonstration of immobile synthetic nucleic acid junctions.
The field has experienced rapid advancements, particularly in the last decade, toward sophisticated applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To summarize recent evolutions in controllable, custom, and accurate DNA nanostructures.
To highlight the role of advanced design and simulation software in expanding the possibilities of DNA nanotechnology.

Main Methods:

Review of recent progress in DNA nanostructure design and fabrication.
Analysis of the integration of design paradigms and simulation software.

Main Results:

DNA nanostructures have become more controllable, customizable, and accurate.
Advanced software has significantly expanded the accessible shape space for nanostructures.
A wide array of fabrication methods and design tools are now available.

Conclusions:

Researchers have diverse options for creating unique DNA nanoobjects and shapes.
These advancements facilitate numerous implementations across various scientific disciplines.