Biochemistry of the Blood

Recent findings in molecular biology show that protein structure
results from the indirect translation of the genetic message encoded in part of a DNA strand. The polypeptide chain produced in this manner can be considered the primary phenotype of an individual gene. Various interactions and combinations of these polypeptide chains, at particular time intervals, produce the secondary and tertiary phenotypes of the organism and result in its morphological and physiological attributes. The more sinrilar the genetic constitution of two organisms, the more closely they are related. From this basic observation, it follows that the degree of similarity between the proteins of organisms is directly proportional to their degree of relationship (Sibley, 1964).