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Origins Of Life

Subject : science

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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Match each statement with the correct term.
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This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. What was the reducing atmosphere hypothesis?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Archean eon.
4.6 billion years

2. What are Coacervates?
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
On clay.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes

3. About how old is the universe?
13.7 billion years
A chemical within a mixture of different chemicals has special properties or advantages that cause it to increase in number compared to other chemicals in the mixture.
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

4. About how long ago did the earth's crust cool?
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Archean eon.
4 billion years ago

5. About how old is the solar system?
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
4.6 billion years
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
4.55 billion years

6. What was the 1st of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Information Storage. DNA would have relieved RNA of informational role and allowed RNA to do other functions. DNA is also less likely to suffer mutations.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
4.6 billion years
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.

7. What was the 2nd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
On clay.

8. According to the seven characteristics of life - are viruses alive?
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
4.6 billion years
No

9. What is the advantage of proteins over RNA?
4.55 billion years
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

10. What is the hypothetical RNA chemical selection scenario?
4 billion years ago
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins

11. What are two possible explanations for the origin of multicellularity?
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.

12. What was the 1st of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.

13. What was the deep-sea vent hypothesis?
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.

14. According to the seven characteristics of life - are viruses alive?
No
4.6 billion years
4-3.5 billion years ago
Preserved remains of past life on Earth

15. What was the 2nd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.

16. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
4.55 billion years
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.

17. Where could RNA polymerization have first occured if not in water?
On clay.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
13.7 billion years
Boundary separated external environment from internal contents. Polymers inside the protobiont contained information. Polymers inside the protobiont had enzymatic function. Protobionts capable of self-replication.

18. What is the advantage of proteins over RNA?
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
13.7 billion years
A chemical within a mixture of different chemicals has special properties or advantages that cause it to increase in number compared to other chemicals in the mixture.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

19. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
On clay.
4-3.5 billion years ago

20. What have experiments shown about prebiotic synthesis of polymers in aqueous solutions?
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
1.5 billion years ago
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.

21. About how old is the earth?
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Boundary separated external environment from internal contents. Polymers inside the protobiont contained information. Polymers inside the protobiont had enzymatic function. Protobionts capable of self-replication.
4.55 billion years

22. About how long ago did the earth's crust cool?
Archean eon.
4 billion years ago
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
4.55 billion years

23. What is the advantage of DNA over RNA?
Information Storage. DNA would have relieved RNA of informational role and allowed RNA to do other functions. DNA is also less likely to suffer mutations.
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution

24. What are the seven characteristics of life?
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
13.7 billion years
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
Boundary separated external environment from internal contents. Polymers inside the protobiont contained information. Polymers inside the protobiont had enzymatic function. Protobionts capable of self-replication.

25. Where could RNA polymerization have first occured if not in water?
On clay.
13.7 billion years
4 billion years ago
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

26. What was the 3rd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
4.6 billion years

27. What have experiments shown about prebiotic synthesis of polymers in aqueous solutions?
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
4.55 billion years
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.

28. Around when did eukaryotic organisms first appear?
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
4.6 billion years
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.

29. About how long ago did life first appear?
4.55 billion years
4-3.5 billion years ago
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

30. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
4.55 billion years
On clay.
No

31. What is a Protobiont?
4.55 billion years
An aggregate of prebiotically produced molecules and macromolecules that acquired a boundary - such as a lipid bilayer - that allowed it to maintain an internal chemical environment distinct from that of its surroundings.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

32. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
1.5 billion years ago
13.7 billion years

33. What is chemical selection?
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
A chemical within a mixture of different chemicals has special properties or advantages that cause it to increase in number compared to other chemicals in the mixture.
4.55 billion years
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.

34. Name 4 characteristics of protobionts.
Boundary separated external environment from internal contents. Polymers inside the protobiont contained information. Polymers inside the protobiont had enzymatic function. Protobionts capable of self-replication.
4.55 billion years
On clay.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.

35. About how old is the universe?
13.7 billion years
4 billion years ago
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
An aggregate of prebiotically produced molecules and macromolecules that acquired a boundary - such as a lipid bilayer - that allowed it to maintain an internal chemical environment distinct from that of its surroundings.

36. Around when did prokaryotic organisms first appear?
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
1.5 billion years ago
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
4.6 billion years

37. What was the 3rd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
13.7 billion years
4.55 billion years
Boundary separated external environment from internal contents. Polymers inside the protobiont contained information. Polymers inside the protobiont had enzymatic function. Protobionts capable of self-replication.

38. Prokaryotic life arose during what eon?
Archean eon.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

39. What is the advantage of DNA over RNA?
4.55 billion years
Information Storage. DNA would have relieved RNA of informational role and allowed RNA to do other functions. DNA is also less likely to suffer mutations.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.

40. Around when did multicellular eukaryotic organisms first appear?
4-3.5 billion years ago
1.5 billion years ago
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
Archean eon.

41. What are Liposomes?
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Boundary separated external environment from internal contents. Polymers inside the protobiont contained information. Polymers inside the protobiont had enzymatic function. Protobionts capable of self-replication.
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.

42. What was the 4th of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
3.8-3.5 billion years ago

43. About how long ago did life first appear?
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
4-3.5 billion years ago

44. Name 4 characteristics of protobionts.
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
Boundary separated external environment from internal contents. Polymers inside the protobiont contained information. Polymers inside the protobiont had enzymatic function. Protobionts capable of self-replication.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
Preserved remains of past life on Earth

45. What are fossils?
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.

46. What are three advantages multicellularity provides for eukaryotes?
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).

47. What are Liposomes?
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
An aggregate of prebiotically produced molecules and macromolecules that acquired a boundary - such as a lipid bilayer - that allowed it to maintain an internal chemical environment distinct from that of its surroundings.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.

48. What was the first macromolecule of protobionts?
An aggregate of prebiotically produced molecules and macromolecules that acquired a boundary - such as a lipid bilayer - that allowed it to maintain an internal chemical environment distinct from that of its surroundings.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.

49. What was the deep-sea vent hypothesis?
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.

50. What are two possible explanations for the origin of eukaryotes?
1.5 billion years ago
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
13.7 billion years
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.