Index ■ I9pre-mRNA, 178
RNA splicing, 178–79
synthesis by transcription, 174 , 178–79
translation at ribosome, 174 , 179–81
meta-analysis, 30
metabolic heat, 380
metabolic pathways, 81–82, 83, 84, 87
metabolism
anabolism, 83, 90
catabolism, 83, 88, 90
as characteristic of life, 66
defined, 6, 81
metaphase I in meiosis, 107 , 109 , 110
metaphase II in meiosis, 107 , 109 , 110
metaphase in mitosis, 102
metastasis, 101
meteorites, 48, 51, 55
Methanobacterium palustre, 84
Methanococcus maripaludis, 85, 87, 93
methanogens, 277
methicillin, 212, 216
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA), 212, 213 , 215, 216, 221–22, 226
methionine, 47
mice
DNA sequence similarity to humans, 202,
203 , 309
oocytes and egg abnormalities, 98–99, 104–5
microbes, defined, 270. See also specific types
microcephaly and Zika virus, 342, 343 , 345
Micrococcus, 273 , 277
migration and gene flow, 221, 222
Miller, Karen, 118, 119, 126, 131
Miller, Stanley, biography, 40, 49, 55
Miller experiments (Miller–Urey experiments)
amino acids produced, 41, 44, 45, 47–48, 49
discovery of leftover samples, 40, 43
effects of water, 44, 45
experiment variations, 43, 44, 47, 49, 55
hydrogen sulfide experiment, 47
nitrogen–carbon dioxide experiment, 49
original spark discharge experiment, 40–43
reanalysis of leftover samples, 43–44, 45,
47–48
spark discharge setup and equipment, 42
steam injection experiment, 43, 44, 45, 47
mimicry, 368 , 369
minerals in bones, 305
miscarriage, 106, 108, 111
mitochondria
cellular respiration, 72, 88, 89
Krebs cycle or citric acid cycle, 89 , 90
oxidative phosphorylation, 89 , 90
structure, 68, 69 , 71 , 72, 88 , 89
mitochondrial DNA, 312–13, 314 , 319
mitosis, 101–3, 105, 106. See also cytokinesis
mitotic division
anaphase, 102, 103
asexual reproduction through mitosis, 100,
101, 103
cytokinesis, 99 , 103
defined, 101
in eukaryotes, 101–3
metaphase, 102
mitosis, 101–3, 105, 106
prophase, 102
telophase, 102, 103
mitotic spindle, 102–3
mixed infections, 223
mixotrophs, 289
molecules, defined, 14 , 40
mollusks, number of known species, 244
monarch butterfly, 368–69
monomers, defined, 51
monosaccharides, structure, 53
monosomy, 140
monotremes, 307
morels, 287
morphological species concept, 235, 237, 239,
241
morphology, defined, 235
mosquito-borne illnesses
chikungunya, 342 , 343, 346
dengue fever, 342 , 343, 345, 351–52, 353
malaria, 4, 258 , 289, 343, 346, 351, 353
overview, 346, 353
West Nile virus, 15, 343, 346, 349, 353
yellow fever, 346, 350
Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes, 15,
342, 343–44
mosquitoes
Aedes aegypti, 342 , 343, 348, 350–51
Aedes albopictus, 343
Anopheles, 343, 351
Culex pipiens, 349
as deadliest animal, 4, 346, 353
eggs laid in standing water, 346, 347
exponential and logistic growth curves, 347
Friendly GM mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti),
350–51, 352
genetic modification (GM) of, 345, 348,
350–52
population doubling time, 346
population ecology, 345, 346, 352
range of species likely to carry Zika virus, 342
resistance to insecticides, 343, 350
Zika virus transmission by, 15, 342, 343–44
most recent common ancestor, 255
mountain lions, 367
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus), 212, 213 , 215, 216, 221–22, 226
multicellularity, benefits of, 289
musk ox, 369
mussels, 361
mutation
causes, 165
defined, 118, 164–65, 181, 219
deletions, 139, 140 , 141 , 165, 166, 183
DNA replication errors, 165–66
and evolution, 219, 221, 222, 223, 236
frameshift mutations, 183
horizontal gene transfer and, 221–22
insertion point mutations, 165, 166, 183
mismatch errors, 165
point mutations, 164–66, 183
pol gene in PERV DNA, 164, 166
silent mutations, 166
substitution point mutations, 165, 183
mutualism, 239, 287, 295, 364, 365
mycelium (plural “mycelia”), 287, 295, 297
Mycoplasma capricolum (M. capricolum),
61–62
Mycoplasma mycoides (M. mycoides)
genome simplification, 72, 74
prokaryote, 68
synthetic cell creation, 60, 61–62
synthetic genome, 61, 62, 72, 74
transformation from M. capricolum,
61–62
mycorrhizal fungi, 287N
NADH, 84, 88, 91
NADPH, 84, 85, 86
natural selection
adaptive traits, 199–200, 215
antibiotic resistance, 212, 213 , 215–18, 223,
226
beak size of birds, 194–95, 216, 218, 219
directional selection, 216, 217
disruptive selection, 216, 218, 219
overview, 194–95, 215–16
sexual selection, 223
stabilizing selection, 216, 218
Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis). See also
human evolution
biological classification (Linnaean hierarchy),
257, 260
discovery, 302
fossils, 302, 311, 318–19
genome sequencing, 302, 309 , 314
interbreeding with modern humans, 302,
303, 312, 314, 318–19
mitochondrial DNA, 312, 313, 319
Neanderthal DNA in human genomes, 302,
313–14, 316
at Riparo Mezzena rock shelter, 302, 311,
318–19
Neogene period, 253 , 263
net primary productivity (NPP), 386, 387 ,
388
neurons (nerve cells)
anatomy, 60
function, 67, 99
nondividing state, 100
Nevo, Eviatar, 232–33
nitrogen, as nutrient, 381
nitrogen fixation, 278–79
nodes on evolutionary trees, 254–55
nonspecific endocytosis, 67 , 68
nonylphenol, 101, 104, 105, 108
notochord, 304 , 305
nuclear envelope, 68, 69 , 70 , 72, 101, 102–3, 286
nuclear pores, 68, 70
nuclei (atoms), 40, 41
nuclei (cells)
in eukaryotic cells, 68, 69 , 70 , 71
nuclear envelope, 68, 70 , 72, 101, 286
structure and function, 68
nucleic acids, 51, 52 , 55. See also DNA; RNA
nucleosomes, 160, 161
nucleotides, 51, 52 , 157, 158
nutrient cycling, 259 , 279, 380–82, 389
nutrients, defined, 380O
observation
defined, 5
repeatable observations, 7, 9, 12
scientific method, 5, 7, 8
observational studies
analytical methods, 8–9, 10
case-control studies, 30
cohort studies, 30
descriptive methods, 8, 10
Odiele, Hanne Gaby, 141
Offit, Paul, 25–26
omnivores, 254, 365
opposable thumbs, 307
opposable toes, 309, 310 , 311