- There is an enormous diversity and complexity among the species that live on Earth. How many species of life are there? Estimated to be at least 9,000,000 different species with only 4,500,000 of them discovered and named. That count is not counting the variety of bacteria and microbe life. Life of any sort has not been discovered outside Earth. And, only half of life has been discovered on Earth.
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- Defining a unique species is not easy. And, there is much debate and disagreement of how the classifications are made. Therefore, these numbers are rounded off as today’s best estimates.
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- To define a species we start with “ the beginning of life” >>>>>> Domains >>>>> Kingdoms >>>>>> Phylum’s >>>>> Classes >>>>>> Families >>>>> Genus >>>>> Species. Species are defined as life that is capable of interbreeding. If you collect enough of interbreeding species believed to have the same ancestors you have a “ Genus”.
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- Here are the species categories you are familiar with:
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------------------------ DISCOVERED ----------------- ESTIMATED UNDISCOVERED
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------- Insects --------------- 950,000 -------------------------- 8,950,000
------- Plants ----------------- 270,000 -------------------------- 380,000
------- Arachnids ----------- 75,000 --------------------------- 740,000
------- Mushrooms --------- 72,000 --------------------------- 470,000
------ Mollusks ------------- 80,000 --------------------------- 250,000
------- Vertebrates --------- 56,000 ----------------------------- 61,000
------- Algae ---------------- 40,000 --------------------------- 400,000
------- Protozoa ------------ 30,000 --------------------------- 210,000
------- Crustaceans -------- 75,000 --------------------------- 180,000
------- Other --------------- 120,000 -------------------------- - 400,000
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--------- TOTAL --------- 4,500,000 ----------------------- 7,841,000
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- These numbers are rough estimates. For example there are other estimates that the total number of insects is 30,000,000 not the 9,900,000 that I have listed above. Finding and identifying species on Earth is still work in process.
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- If you are reading this you are one of the vertebrates classified among the 5,490 mammals. The rest in your family of the species are fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds.
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- Now to really stretch your thinking ponder this: all of this diversity started from a single gene pool.
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- Mice and humans share 80% the exact same protein coded genes. 80% of us comes from the same gene pool. We are just learning this stuff as we can study DNA at the microscope level. To understand the DNA substructures your vision must get down to 100 angstroms, or 10 nanometers. A hydrogen atom is 1 angstrom or 0.1 nanometer in diameter.
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- When science can witness this level of substructure they can learn how the genetic message of DNA is copied to RNA for the production of proteins. Understanding this process is critical for the growth , development, health, and survival of the species.
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- Counter- intuitively the total number of genes is not evidence of the complexities of the species. A Fruit Fly is far more complex than the nematode worm yet the worm has 20,000 genes and the Fruit Fly has 14,000 genes. We humans have between 30,000 and 40,000 genes. These numbers are still in the process of discovery. Genomes are still being sequenced in plants and animals.
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- What science has already learned is that the number of genes do not create complexity but, the various combinations and multiple transcription factors are what create evolutionary complexity. The species with the highest known number of genes is the protozoan with 60,000 genes, 3 times as many as the human sub-species.
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- The recent discoveries are being made using a single-particle cryo-electron microscope recording a series of 2D images, then, using a computer to create a high-resolution 3D reconstructions.
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- The genome is the entirety of a species hereditary information. With it science can trace the ancestors of species and clearly tell which species are related. Genomes include both the genes and other non-coding sequences of DNA/RNA. An announcement will be made shortly, stay tuned.
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RSVP, please reply with a number to rate this review: #1- learned something new. #2 - Didn’t read it. #3- very interesting. #4- Send another review #___ from the index. #5- Keep em coming. #6- I forwarded copies to some friends. #7- Don‘t send me these anymore! #8- I am forwarding you some questions? Index is available with email upon request. Some reviews are at http://jdetrick.blogspot.com Please send feedback, corrections, or recommended improvements to: jamesdetrick@comcast.net. ---- “Jim Detrick” -- www.facebook.com, -- www.twitter.com, -- 707-536-3272 Sunday, March 24, 2013
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