Page 147 - The Errors the American National Academy of Sciences

Afood mixer and a
concrete mixer were de-
signed for similar purposes.
Despite their different appear-
ances, they possess similar functions and
structures.

tions to hold cargo or people. It is evident that, because of these similari-
ties, every one of these vehicles was designed for a specific purpose and
possesses common features in line with that purpose. Hemoglobin and
myoglobin are molecules designed for a similar purpose, for which rea-
son they have similar features.

• When we look at the NAS claim in a little more detail, its im-
possible nature can be seen more clearly. According to the claim, myo-
globin gradually evolved as a result of mutations, differences formed
in the amino-acid sequence, and thus the hemoglobin molecule
emerged. However, we know that both myoglobin and hemoglobin
possess exceedingly complex structures. If either of these molecules is
subjected to random factors like mutation, the molecule's function

will be corrupted, as we saw in the chapter on mutations, and it will
become useless. The disease known as sickle-cell anemia is one exam-
ple of this. Therefore, to expect a mutation which randomly changes a
protein's amino-acid sequence to turn that protein into a more com-

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