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YouTube

Why Is Life the Way It Is? With Nick Lane

The Royal Institution via YouTube

Overview

Explore the origins and evolution of life on Earth in this 34-minute lecture by evolutionary biochemist Nick Lane. Unravel the tangled history of life, from the three domains of life to the complexity of eukaryotic cells. Delve into theories like serial endosymbiosis and the ring of life. Discover the role of alkaline hydrothermal vents and electrochemical flow reactors in early life formation. Examine the impact of mitochondria on evolution and population genetics. Gain insights into why life is the way it is and how it began, as presented by an expert from University College London's Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment.

Syllabus

Intro
Sequence is information
The three domains tree of life
Complexity of eukaryotic cells
The serial endosymbiosis theory?
The ring of life
Alkaline hydrothermal vents
Electrochemical flow reactors
A black hole at the heart of biology
Mitochondrial population genetics
Mitochondria change the course of evolution

Taught by

The Royal Institution

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