Molecular evolution

Japanese: 分子進化 - ぶんししんか（英語表記）molecular evolution

When the evolutionary process of living organisms is viewed at the molecular level, it is called molecular evolution. Although its scope is broad, it can be roughly divided into the following two fields: (1) The process in which polymers and polymer systems are formed early in the evolution of life, and then the degree of organization increases, leading to the evolution of cells. (2) When evolutionary changes are viewed at the molecular level in organisms that already have established genetic mechanisms similar to those of modern organisms. Currently, based on the standpoint that the three-dimensional structure of proteins is determined by the genetic information of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules, the aim is to clarify the evolutionary process and mechanisms of organisms by comparing the structures and functions of homologous proteins and the structures of nucleic acids in various organisms.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

生物の進化過程を分子レベルでとらえた場合，これを分子進化と呼ぶ。その範囲は広いが，次の2つの分野に大別できる。 (1) 生命進化の初期に，高分子および高分子系が成立し，まとまりの程度を高めて，細胞にまで進化していく過程。 (2) 現在の生物と同様な遺伝機構がすでに確立した生物において，進化的な変化を分子のレベルでとらえていく場合。現在は，蛋白質の立体構造がデオキシリボ核酸 DNA分子の遺伝情報により規定されるという立場から，各種生物の相同蛋白質の構造と機能や核酸の構造を比較し，その生物の進化の過程や機構を明らかにすることを目的としている。

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