Refer to the figure below. The figure compares data from four different organisms.The data include the first 35 amino acids that make up the protein cytochrome c, which functions in cellular respiration.Each capital letter represents a different amino acid.What do these data indicate about relationships among these four organisms?
A) The four organisms are unrelated because each has a unique sequence of amino acids that make up the cytochrome c protein.
B) All four organisms have a common origin because the same protein is found in all four with only small differences in structure among the four.
C) All four organisms have a common origin because cells in all four contain large and complex biomolecules that carry out metabolic reactions that sustain life.
D) Only rattlesnake and dog have a common origin because only their cytochrome c sequences are similar.
E) Only wheat is unrelated to the other three, as shown by differences in cytochrome c structures, because wheat is a plant and the others are animals.

Question

Refer to the figure below.  The figure compares data from four different organisms.The data include the first 35 amino acids that make up the protein cytochrome c, which functions in cellular respiration.Each capital letter represents a different amino acid.What do these data indicate about relationships among these four organisms?
A) The four organisms are unrelated because each has a unique sequence of amino acids that make up the cytochrome c protein. 
B) All four organisms have a common origin because the same protein is found in all four with only small differences in structure among the four. 
C) All four organisms have a common origin because cells in all four contain large and complex biomolecules that carry out metabolic reactions that sustain life. 
D) Only rattlesnake and dog have a common origin because only their cytochrome c sequences are similar. 
E) Only wheat is unrelated to the other three, as shown by differences in cytochrome c structures, because wheat is a plant and the others are animals.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that all four organisms have a similar sequence of amino acids in their cytochrome c protein indicates that they share a common ancestry and diverged from a common ancestor. The small differences in the sequence suggest that mutations occurred over time, leading to differences in the protein structure among the organisms.

Refer to the Figure Below