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Design in Biology
The Great Controversy: How did
we get here?
Material causes only?
A cause beyond material causes--a
transcendent creator?
Design in Biology
Which One is Designed?
The Appearance of Design
is Recognized in Biology
“Biology is the study of complicated things
that give the appearance of having been
designed for a purpose.”
(Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker)
“Biologists must constantly keep in mind that
what they see was not designed, but rather
evolved.” (Crick, What Mad Pursuit)
Question: Is there a design substitute, or is the
design from an intelligent source?
A Little
Biochemistry
Life’s Building Blocks
Atoms--the building blocks of matter
(hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and others)
Molecules--combination of atoms bound together by electrical
forces (water, sugar, salt, amino acids, and many others)
Amino Acids--molecules that are the building blocks of proteins
Proteins--folded chains of amino acids that form the structural
building blocks and machinery in cells
Cells--the building blocks of living organisms
DNA--a long, ladder-like molecule, found in a cell’s nucleus, that
stores the information (code or directions) for building proteins,
cells, and organisms (deoxyribonucleic acid)
Mutation--an error in the DNA code
Cells are the Basic Building Blocks of
Living Organisms
1839, Schleiden & Schwann proposed that cells are
the smallest, most fundamental unit of life.
Until the late 19th century, cells were thought to be
simple bags of protoplasm.
In the late 19th century, scientists started discovering
that cells contain compounds which
undergo complex chemical reactions.
Today, we see:
The Cell Has Staggering Complexity
Separate compartments with unique chemical
environments and controlled access passages
between compartments
A molecular transportation network to supply
raw materials and distribute finished products
Microprocessor regulation of gene expression,
growth, repair, and response to environmental
conditions
Molecular protein machines that do cell work
Cargo haulers
Cables, ropes, pulleys
Switches
Energy conversion
Unzipping, reading, and duplicating DNA
From Unlocking the Mystery of Life
Propulsion
Manufacturing
A library containing information that specifies all the above (DNA)
See M. Behe, Darwin’s Black Box, pg 4-5.
Proteins Form the Cell’s Structure and
Machinery
Phenylalanine
Histidine
Leucine
Glutamine
Amino acids are molecules.
Isoleucine
Asparagine
Methionine
Lysine
There are 20 different amino acids
used in proteins.
Valine
Aspartic acid
Serine
Glutamic acid
Proline
Cysteine
There are hundreds to thousands of
amino acids in a protein string.
Threonine
Tryptophan
Alanine
Arginine
Thyrosine
Glycine
A Protein is a String of Amino acids.
From Darwin’s Black Box
The Amino Acid String Folds into a Precise
Three Dimensional Shape.
Shape and charges on the
protein’s surface determine
interaction with other proteins
and molecules.
Many proteins have the
characteristics of a
microprocessor combined with a
functional machine.
They are sometimes called
enzymes.
DNA Polymerase
From David Keller
DNA is a Molecule that Folds and Twists
Into a Chromosome
Chromosome
Chromosome pairs
(One from Mother, one from Father)
humans 23
apes 24
dogs 39
flowering plants >100
Our 46 chromosomes are made of
3 billion base pairs.
base pair
molecules
sugar &
phosphate
molecules
DNA
Harris; DDD-V; September 2004
DNA Has a Ladder-like Structure
Phosphate
Base
Sugar
A
Sugar and phosphate
molecules form the sides.
Base
T
Base molecules form the rungs.
C
G
G
C
T
A
There are 4 types of base molecules:
Adenine--Thiamine
Cytosine--Guanine
A & T always go together.
C & G always go together.
Sequences of Bases Form a Code for Building
Proteins
A “gene” is a section of the DNA molecule that specifies how to
build a protein. Genes make up roughly 2% of DNA. The other
98% was called “junk” DNA (more later).
Instead of a sequence of letters that form words and ideas, DNA
uses a sequence of molecules (bases) as a code that gives
directions for protein assembly and regulation.
Three base molecules in a row (a codon) specify
an amino acid.
DNA
Sequences of codons specify the sequence of amino
acids to be used in assembling a protein.
GCT = Alanine
AAA= Lysine
TCT = Serine
TTT = Phenylalanine
Base
Pairs
Is 98% of DNA “Junk?”
Until the mid-1990s, 98% of DNA was classified as “junk”—left
over from the random mutation process.
Now, we know that some of it has a regulatory function.
Recent research (ENCODE project) shows that at least 80% of
“junk” DNA is transcribed and probably has an important
function:
Information organization, alignment and indexing
Cell, gene and protein regulation
Cell division and differentiation
Alternative splicing
DNA stability
Wells, The Myth of Junk DNA
How the DNA-Protein Process Works 1
(Greatly Simplified)
A protein machine, RNA
polymerase, reads the base
molecules in a DNA gene.
It copies the base sequence to
make a messenger RNA (mRNA)
Molecule.
RNA Polymerase
The structure of RNA has a
single strand, sugar-phosphate
backbone with bases attached.
The bases are the same as for
DNA except uracil is substituted
for thiamine.
mRNA From Unlocking the Mystery of Life
How the DNA-Protein Process Works 2
(Greatly Simplified)
The mRNA is transported out of the
nucleus to a protein manufacturing
machine called a ribosome.
Amino acids are brought to the
ribosome by transfer RNA (tRNA).
The ribosome uses the mRNA as a
template to assemble amino acids into
a string.
Robosome
The string of amino acids folds, with
help from another machine, into a
functioning protein.
Protein assembly From Unlocking the Mystery of Life
Journey Inside the Cell Video
Design in Proteins
Molecular Machines
Molecular Machines--DNA Polymerase
Copies Genetic Information
NTP
PPi
ssDNA
Internal
movements
Chemical
reactions
dsDNA
Thermal motion
From David Keller, Ph.D. Biophysical Chemistry, UNM
Molecular Machines--The Ribosome
The ribosome is a molecular
machine made of 50 proteins
that uses mRNA as a template
to assemble amino acids,
brought to it by tRNA, into
proteins.
Molecular Machines--F1F0 ATP Synthase
This machine is imbedded in
the wall of a mitochondria. H+
powers a protein motor that
drives a turbine that attaches P
to ADP to make ATP for cell
energy. Or it works in reverse
to pump H+.
Kinesin Video
Molecular Machines--Bacterial Flagellum
From Behe; Darwin’s Black Box, p 71. Originally fromVoet and Voet
Unlocking the Mystery of Life Video
Design in DNA
DNA Uses a Code and Contains Information
The entire DNA code contains roughly the same quantity of
information as 300 encyclopedia volumes.
The information in DNA is highly organized with efficient data
retrieval, cross references, and a sophisticated hierarchical
structure.
Bill Gates said: “DNA is like a computer program but far, far
more advanced than any software ever created.”
All known codes have an intelligent cause:
Computer codes
Written language
Morse code
Numbers
Construction plans
Both Proteins and DNA are Required for Reproduction
The information from DNA is read by molecular reading machines
and transferred to molecular manufacturing machines.
Molecular manufacturing machines use the information from DNA to
assemble amino acids into proteins.
Proteins form the molecular machines that replicate DNA during cell
reproduction.
Evolution requires reproduction.
Reproduction requires the interdependent
system of DNA and molecular machines.
This interdependent system is evidence
for design.
Unzipping from Unlocking the Mystery of Life Video
Conclusion:
How Can We Explain Design In Biology?
Genesis 1: In the beginning, God
created the heavens and the earth and
every living thing according to its kind.
Rom 1:20 For since the creation of the
world, God's invisible qualities-his
eternal power and divine nature-have
been clearly seen, being understood
from what has been made, so that men
are without excuse.
Reading
The Mystery of Life’s Origin; Thaxton, Bradley, Olson, 1984
Evolution: A Theory in Crisis; Michael Denton, 1986
Darwin on Trial; Phillip Johnson, 1993
Darwin’s Black Box; Michael Behe, 1996
Nature’s Destiny; Michael Denton, 1998
Intelligent Design; William Dembski, 1999
Icons of Evolution; Jonathan Wells, 2000
The Edge of Evolution; Michael Behe, 2007
Signature in the Cell; Stephen C. Meyer, 2009
The Myth of Junk DNA; Jonathan Wells, 2011
Darwin’s Doubt; Stephen Meyer, 2013
Internet
Discovery.org
IntelligentDesignNetwork.org
NMIDnet.org
ARN.org