Blog Post 2: Evolution and Human Variability Joshua K. Belcher

After reviewing the writing from Alter the Author “Why should students Learn Evolution,” I notice a significant statement from Alter that stated, “Evolution is a unifying theme among many sciences.” When I thought about the statement, I began to contemplate about the science courses that I’m taking, my professors theory on evolution, and lastly my major in comparison. However, at Michigan State, the major that I’m currently studying is Human Biology on a Pre-Medical track. Human Biology relates to a variety of meaning behind the study of evolution and human variability. The definition of Human Biology is the scientific study of human beings and populations from a biological point of view. While my major greatly correlates with the evolution of the population of humans. I think my specific study of field defines evolution as the current day is the on-going diversity for the change of species since the beginning of time. For example, since human biology is the study of life, evolution supports this field dating back before the extinction of dinosaurs. Dinosaurs existed way before humans arrived on Earth and to prove that this happened scientists discovered fossils of dinosaurs and humans footprints to support their reasoning of evolution. Meanwhile, discussing human biological variability being the range of characteristic, physical, or even mentality. Human biology understands human variation through genetic factors. Genetic variation refers to any relation to phenotype, phenotype means the outcome from allele expression and mutations. As discussed recently in the lecture videos, variation in humans is good and what makes it good is that we are all different from one another. We have different skin color, shape, size, or even functions in our bodies. Variation results in the evolving life of human biology being diverse. However, in specific terms, genetic mutation is the different alleles that occur in an individual lifetime. In speaking terms, it can occur whether those genetic mutations are passed down from generations ago or simply from parent to offspring. On the other hand, in my science courses that I have taken such as Biology and Chemistry. I learned that these classes focus on the evolution of how time has changed through the practice of the law of thermodynamics. The laws of thermodynamics basically state nothing can be created or destroyed. This kind of theory relates to the evolving way of how we define science in the areas of biology and chemistry. After reviewing the videos for this week, I have no altering views about human biology as a field of study in relation to evolution. Besides that, I have learned a significant amount of information when I read Alters “Why should students learn about evolution.” I personally agree that evolution should be applied more towards students education in their science courses. Including to that, I believe that it teaches students how to understand why humans variation occurs and varies from one another especially in their biology courses. All in all, I think this was a very interesting topic and that many professors should lecture more about the evolving life of human biological variation within the study of life.

2 thoughts on “Blog Post 2: Evolution and Human Variability Joshua K. Belcher

  1. Your post is very informative. The subject you have described, human biology, is totally new for me. Also, you have mentioned many professional terms, like genetic variation, phenotype, allele expression and mutations, etc. From the biological point of view, human beings have many varieties. We have different appearances, different heights, also personalities and so forth. In the biology course, we learned that these traits are determined by both genetic factors and environmental factors. I think it is more related with the individual level. On the contrary, the concepts like evolution is more related with a larger scale, the whole human beings. At last, it is interesting that you have mentioned dinosaurs. It inspired me that many of the evidences for evolution are actually obtained from theories, from the fossil records, and since evolution happened in really long time, it is quite difficult for us to really feel it.

  2. Hi Josh, I am also a human biology major and while reading your blog I found your view point about variation and evolution very interesting. Your statement about chemistry and thermodynamics and its relation to evolution was very compelling. I’ve taken all of the chemistry courses for my major and thoroughly enjoyed them, but I never thought about entropy and enthalpy in the way that you mentioned. My blog covered the genetic component of variation and how its all caused by mutation and the likelihood of those mutations being passed down to our offspring. I also agree with your statement about your unaltered views, while we’ve definitely learned new information, i don’t think that it changes our view because it is all connected to what we’ve already learned.

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