BIOL 123 Lecture Notes - Lecture 26: Eastern Bluebird, Western Bluebird, Hydrogen Sulfide
Document Summary
Some organisms evolved the ability to capture the sun"s energy. Photosynthesis requires hydrogen but there was a shortage of earth"s hydrogen sulfide (produced mainly by volcanoes). This led to the evolution of photosynthetic bacteria that uses the planet"s most abundant source of hydrogen water. Photosynthesis increased the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. Water-based photosynthesis converts water and carbon dioxide to energetic molecules of sugar, releasing oxygen as a by-product. Iron atoms exposed to oxygen form deposits of iron oxide (rust). Chemical analysts of rocks predict oxygen was first produced by bacteria (ex. cyanobacteria). Taxonomy = branch of biology concerned with naming and classifying organisms: its basis was established by carolus linnaeus introduced two-part scientific name. Genus = group that includes a number of very closely related species. Linnaeus also developed a method for classifying species. Systematists communicate their finding about phylogeny by constructing evolutionary trees.
