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The Importance of Understanding Evolution The majority of evidence for evolution comes from observing living organisms in their natural environments. Scientists conduct laboratory experiments to test evolution theories. Favourable changes, such as those that aid a person in its struggle to survive, increase their frequency over time. This is referred to as natural selection. Natural Selection Natural selection theory is a central concept in evolutionary biology. It is also a key topic for science education. Numerous studies have shown that the concept of natural selection as well as its implications are poorly understood by many people, including those with postsecondary biology education. However having a basic understanding of the theory is essential for both practical and academic contexts, such as medical research and management of natural resources. The most straightforward way to understand the concept of natural selection is as an event that favors beneficial traits and makes them more common in a population, thereby increasing their fitness value. This fitness value is a function of the relative contribution of the gene pool to offspring in each generation. This theory has its opponents, but most of them argue that it is not plausible to believe that beneficial mutations will always make themselves more common in the gene pool. They also argue that random genetic drift, environmental pressures, and other factors can make it difficult for beneficial mutations within the population to gain place in the population. These criticisms are often grounded in the notion that natural selection is an argument that is circular. A desirable trait must to exist before it can be beneficial to the entire population and will only be able to be maintained in populations if it is beneficial. The critics of this view argue that the theory of the natural selection is not a scientific argument, but instead an assertion of evolution. A more in-depth critique of the theory of evolution is centered on the ability of it to explain the development adaptive characteristics. These characteristics, referred to as adaptive alleles, can be defined as those that increase the chances of reproduction when there are competing alleles. The theory of adaptive genes is based on three components that are believed to be responsible for the formation of these alleles through natural selection: The first element is a process called genetic drift, which occurs when a population experiences random changes in its genes. This can cause a population to expand or shrink, based on the degree of variation in its genes. The second component is called competitive exclusion. This describes the tendency of certain alleles within a population to be removed due to competition between other alleles, for example, for food or mates. Genetic Modification Genetic modification refers to a range of biotechnological methods that alter the DNA of an organism. This can lead to a number of advantages, such as greater resistance to pests as well as improved nutritional content in crops. It can also be utilized to develop medicines and gene therapies that correct disease-causing genes. Genetic Modification is a powerful instrument to address many of the world's most pressing problems, such as climate change and hunger. Scientists have traditionally used models of mice, flies, and worms to understand the functions of certain genes. This approach is limited, however, by the fact that the genomes of organisms cannot be modified to mimic natural evolution. Utilizing gene editing tools like CRISPR-Cas9 for example, scientists can now directly alter the DNA of an organism to produce the desired result. This is referred to as directed evolution. In essence, scientists determine the target gene they wish to alter and employ a gene-editing tool to make the needed change. Then they insert the modified gene into the organism, and hopefully it will pass on to future generations. A new gene inserted in an organism may cause unwanted evolutionary changes that could alter the original intent of the alteration. Transgenes inserted into DNA an organism can cause a decline in fitness and may eventually be eliminated by natural selection. Another issue is making sure that the desired genetic change extends to all of an organism's cells. This is a major hurdle since each cell type is distinct. Cells that make up an organ are very different than those that produce reproductive tissues. To make a major difference, you need to target all cells. These challenges have led some to question the technology's ethics. Some people think that tampering DNA is morally wrong and like playing God. Some people worry that Genetic Modification could have unintended negative consequences that could negatively impact the environment or the well-being of humans. click through the following website page occurs when an organism's genetic traits are modified to better suit its environment. These changes are typically the result of natural selection that has taken place over several generations, but they could also be due to random mutations that cause certain genes to become more common in a population. Adaptations can be beneficial to individuals or species, and can help them thrive in their environment. The finch-shaped beaks on the Galapagos Islands, and thick fur on polar bears are a few examples of adaptations. In certain cases two species could develop into dependent on each other to survive. Orchids for instance have evolved to mimic the appearance and smell of bees in order to attract pollinators. Competition is an important element in the development of free will. The ecological response to environmental change is much weaker when competing species are present. This is due to the fact that interspecific competition asymmetrically affects populations sizes and fitness gradients which in turn affect the speed of evolutionary responses following an environmental change. The shape of the competition function as well as resource landscapes can also significantly influence the dynamics of adaptive adaptation. For example, a flat or distinctly bimodal shape of the fitness landscape may increase the chance of displacement of characters. Likewise, a low resource availability may increase the chance of interspecific competition, by reducing equilibrium population sizes for various types of phenotypes. In simulations using different values for the parameters k,m, the n, and v, I found that the rates of adaptive maximum of a species disfavored 1 in a two-species alliance are significantly lower than in the single-species case. This is because the favored species exerts direct and indirect competitive pressure on the one that is not so which decreases its population size and causes it to fall behind the moving maximum (see the figure. 3F). When the u-value is close to zero, the impact of competing species on adaptation rates increases. At this point, the preferred species will be able to attain its fitness peak more quickly than the species that is not preferred, even with a large u-value. The species that is favored will be able to exploit the environment faster than the disfavored species, and the evolutionary gap will grow. Evolutionary Theory As one of the most widely accepted scientific theories evolution is an integral part of how biologists examine living things. It is based on the notion that all biological species evolved from a common ancestor through natural selection. This process occurs when a trait or gene that allows an organism to better survive and reproduce in its environment increases in frequency in the population over time, according to BioMed Central. The more often a genetic trait is passed down the more prevalent it will grow, and eventually lead to the development of a new species. The theory also explains how certain traits become more common in the population through a phenomenon known as “survival of the best.” Basically, organisms that possess genetic traits that provide them with an advantage over their competition have a greater chance of surviving and generating offspring. The offspring of these organisms will inherit the advantageous genes and over time, the population will change. In the period following Darwin's death a group of evolutionary biologists headed by Theodosius Dobzhansky, Julian Huxley (the grandson of Darwin's bulldog, Thomas Huxley), Ernst Mayr and George Gaylord Simpson further extended his ideas. The biologists of this group who were referred to as the Modern Synthesis, produced an evolution model that is taught every year to millions of students during the 1940s and 1950s. The model of evolution however, is unable to solve many of the most pressing evolution questions. For instance it is unable to explain why some species appear to be unchanging while others undergo rapid changes over a short period of time. It does not address entropy either, which states that open systems tend towards disintegration over time. The Modern Synthesis is also being challenged by a growing number of scientists who are worried that it is not able to completely explain evolution. In response, various other evolutionary models have been proposed. This includes the notion that evolution isn't a random, deterministic process, but instead is driven by the “requirement to adapt” to a constantly changing environment. It also includes the possibility of soft mechanisms of heredity that don't depend on DNA.