The Origin of Life | Teen Ink

The Origin of Life

June 15, 2009
By Anonymous

The Origin of Life
The origin and change of life is a fascinating subject. There are many different views on what exactly happened, whether it is evolution, creation, or somewhere in between. It is important to understand the difference between evolution and creation. Evolution is when something changes into something different. Creation means that different types of organisms (such as one-celled organisms and people) did not evolve from each other, they were created separately.
Creation is how life began. It can easily go along with the geologic time scale, because the days in Genesis, of the Bible, are not literally just twenty-four hour days. It does not seem rational that everything could have evolved from a one-celled organism. Just because everything was created in order of complexity does not mean that they evolved from each other. The difference in the DNA between a one-celled organism and man is so great that it is not likely that they could be related in any way. If the human genetic code were to be put onto paper, it would fill a one thousand volume encyclopedia. If one letter in the genetic code is changed it could possibly result in a disease. It is irrational that these creatures could have evolved from each other because they are not related; they were created at completely different time periods.
Life is constantly changing. There are still new variations of species being formed, such as the swine flu. Every change occurs due to a variation, and these variations are caused by a genetic mutation. Not every mutation causes a new variety of the species, though. In order for the species to change, the mutation must be favorable (not every mutation is harmful). If it is not favorable, the organism will not survive and reproduce; it will simply die. If it is favorable, the organism will survive, reproduce, and pass on the trait. The original variation of the species will come into competition with the new variation. The new variation will soon kill off the old variation because it has an advantage over the old variety. This is the process that Charles Darwin calls Natural Selection, or Survival of the Fittest. Natural Selection does not happen over night. It takes time; therefore, even after millions years the change in a species would not be drastic. For example, the swine flu virus would not become a pig. These organisms are not related in the first place, thus it doesn’t seem logical that they could evolve into one another.

Variation under domestication works a little differently, because there is one additional factor: man. While Natural Selection changes the species for its own benefit, man will change the species for his benefit, not for the benefit of the species. This method of change is called Artificial Selection. Man does this by breeding the organisms with the favorable variations. Man can also create new breeds and variations by hybridism. An example would be crossing a poodle and a lab to create a laberdoodle.
Mutations are primarily caused by environmental changes. The organism is responding and adapting to the changing environment by mutating. However, mutations cannot be caused by the use and disuse of certain parts. The use and disuse of a part is an acquired trait that is not part of the genetic code, thus it cannot be passed down. For example, if a man works out and becomes very strong, that does not mean his child will be strong like him. Fossil evidence that shows changes such as these does not prove that a mutation occurred; it just means that the organism has changed during its lifetime due to a certain lifestyle.
In conclusion, a dog is a dog, and a human is a human. There can be many different breeds of dogs, but they are still a dog. The same goes for all organisms. There can be many different varieties, but that does not mean it can change into something completely different.


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