Bacteriorhodopsin and the Phylogenetic Tree
Using the phylogenetic tree in the attached document as a guide, discuss why bacteriophodopsin was likely a late evolutionary invention.
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Bacteriophodopsin is used only by achaea bacteria such as halobacteria and not other bacteria. Examining the phylogenetic tree provided halobacteria are a selective branch that diverged later in bacterial evolution.
For more information see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriorhodopsin
Bacteriorhodopsin is light driven proton pump that is found only in achaea bacteria such as Halobacterium salinarium. It serves as a basic unit for converting solar energy into chemical energy by creating a proton gradient that can then be used to transport the directional movement of nutrients and key compounds agaisnt their concentration gradient. In plants ...
Solution Summary
Several paragraphs with web references examining the development of bacteriorhodopsin.