The Earliest Nervous System Fossils Are from a Little Over

question 25

Essay

The earliest nervous system fossils are from a little over half a billion years ago, yet the earliest fossilized life is known from 3.5 billion years ago. Do you think behavior could have emerged before the origin of a nervous system? Give examples to support your answer.

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Definitions:

Hemoglobin

A protein in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues.

Iron

A mineral essential for various bodily functions, including hemoglobin formation in red blood cells and oxygen transport.

Plasma Coagulation

The process by which blood changes from a liquid to a gel, forming a blood clot, involving the conversion of plasma protein fibrinogen into fibrin.

Erythropoiesis

The process of producing red blood cells, which takes place primarily in the bone marrow and is regulated by the hormone erythropoietin.