The key difference between chemical and organic evolution is that the chemical evolution occurs due to changes in the structure of the molecules; from complex molecules to simple molecules with the passage of time whereas the organic evolution occurs due to the changes in the genetic composition of populations of organisms in response to environmental changes.
The difference between chemical and organic evolution can be described easily based on the aspect that subjects to change during the evolution of the earth. During chemical evolution, the biomolecules subject to changes in different stages increasing the complexity of biomolecules. During the organic evolution, individual species subject to changes gradually in the generation after generation. Chemical evolution came into being before organic evolution.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Chemical Evolution
3. What is Organic Evolution
4. Similarities Between Chemical and Organic Evolution
5. Side by Side Comparison – Chemical vs Organic Evolution in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is Chemical Evolution?
Chemical evolution of earth explains the changes that took place in biomolecules over time. Therefore, from simple prokaryotic molecular structures to complex eukaryotic molecular structures, chemical evolution can be analyzed. During chemical evolution, simple molecules combined together to form simple monomeric compounds such as amino acids.
Figure 01: Chemical Evolution
Furthermore, individual monomers transform into polymers which performed specific structural and functional roles. With evolution, these polymers interacted with each other thereby gaining the ability to reproduce and pass on genetic material to the next generation. This process leads to the origin of life. Hence, during evolution, chemical evolution took place prior to organic evolution.
What is Organic Evolution?
Organic evolution is the process by which species evolved over time. Organic evolution takes place within a long period of time. This process involves the evolution of all biochemically active compounds in a specific species to transform it into a different species. Organic evolution takes place over generations hence cannot be tested via in vitro experiments.
Figure 02: Organic Evolution
Organic evolution mainly results from mutations caused by chemical, physical and biological mutagens. During the process, the genetic component of the species change, and it leads to the development of evolutionary traits. Hence, organic evolution results in the emergence of new species. Thus, Organic evolution takes place after chemical evolution. Theories of “Darwinism” explain the organic evolution.
What are the Similarities Between Chemical and Organic Evolution?
- Both types lead to the evolution of the earth.
- Chemical and Organic Evolution changes took over a period of time.
What is the Difference Between Chemical and Organic Evolution?
Chemical and organic evolution are two components of the evolutionary process. Biomolecules change over time during chemical evolution while species change over time during the organic evolution. This is the key difference between chemical and organic evolution. Thus, because of this nature of evolution, the time span for chemical evolution is relatively short but the time span for organic evolution is relatively long. Furthermore, the evolution factors for chemical evolution are biomolecules such as carbohydrates, proteins, etc. On the contrary, the evolution factor for organic evolution is the species.
The below infographic outlines more details on the difference between chemical and organic evolution.
Summary – Chemical vs Organic Evolution
The evolution of living beings can be described based on the chemical and organic evolution of the earth. Preliminarily, molecules evolved to form complex structural and functional compounds that lead to the evolution of species. The evolution of biomolecules is the chemical evolution, whereas the evolution of species is the organic evolution. Usually, chemical evolution is followed by organic evolution. This is the difference between chemical and organic evolution.