This week’s reading is Chapter 22.1 and 22.2 (Prokaryotes), Chapter 23.1 and 23.2 (Protists), 25.1 (Early Plant Life) and Chapter 27.1 and 27.2 (Animal Diversity) of the course textbook, which is accessible through the Syllabus or through the course’s “Textbooks” page.
Optional: If you are having difficulties grasping particular concepts from the textbook or if you want to explore them more in details, you could watch videos about biology on Khan Academy at “Khan Academy Biology”. The videos are categorized and named according to the concept they explain, so it should be easy to find those that are relevant to study.
Part 1
In your assigned readings, you learned about different theories for the evolution of eukaryotic cells from prokaryotic organisms. Describe the hypothesized steps for the evolution of eukaryotic cells via endosymbiosis. How is evidence used to support this theory? Explain your position.
Be sure to use in text citation and provide references for your sources. While not required for this discussion, you may use outside resources. Any materials cited in this course should be referenced using the APA style guidelines.
Part 2
In your assigned readings, you were introduced to the major animal phyla. Choose an animal which represents a particular phylum. Briefly describe its features characteristic of its phylum including morphology, embryology, and physiology. Identify adaptations of your animal compared with other animals. If you chose a more primitive animal, identify adaptations compared with more primitive organisms outside of the animal kingdom.