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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 is the advantage of DNA over RNA?
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
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.
No
1.5 billion years ago

2. What is a Protobiont?
1.5 billion years ago
4-3.5 billion years ago
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
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.

3. Name 4 characteristics of protobionts.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
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.
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).

4. What is the hypothetical RNA chemical selection scenario?
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
No
4 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.

5. About how long ago did the earth's crust cool?
4.55 billion years
4 billion years ago
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.
Archean eon.

6. What is the advantage of proteins over RNA?
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
4.6 billion years
1.5 billion years ago
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

7. What are Coacervates?
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
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

8. Name 4 characteristics of protobionts.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
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.
1.5 billion years ago
Preserved remains of past life on Earth

9. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
1.5 billion years ago
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
13.7 billion years

10. Prokaryotic life arose during what eon?
13.7 billion years
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
Archean eon.

11. What was the reducing atmosphere hypothesis?
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.

12. What are fossils?
4 billion years ago
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
13.7 billion years

13. 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.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins

14. What have experiments shown about prebiotic synthesis of polymers in aqueous solutions?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
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
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.

15. About how old is the earth?
4.55 billion years
4.6 billion years
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
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.

16. Prokaryotic life arose during what eon?
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
1.5 billion years ago
Archean eon.

17. 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
4.55 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.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins

18. Around when did multicellular eukaryotic organisms first appear?
On clay.
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.
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.
1.5 billion years ago

19. What have experiments shown about prebiotic synthesis of polymers in aqueous solutions?
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
1.5 billion years ago
No
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

20. What are three advantages multicellularity provides for eukaryotes?
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
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.

21. What is the advantage of proteins over RNA?
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).
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.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

22. What was the first macromolecule of protobionts?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
4.55 billion years
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.

23. What was the deep-sea vent hypothesis?
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.

24. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
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).
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

25. What was the 2nd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
1.5 billion years ago
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

26. Where could RNA polymerization have first occured if not in water?
On clay.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

27. What are Liposomes?
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
4.6 billion years
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.

28. What are two possible explanations for the origin of multicellularity?
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.

29. What is a Protobiont?
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
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.
On clay.

30. About how old is the universe?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
4-3.5 billion years ago
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.
13.7 billion years

31. What are fossils?
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
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.

32. Around when did eukaryotic organisms first appear?
1.5 billion years ago
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
2.5-2.0 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).

33. What is chemical selection?
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.
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.

34. What are Coacervates?
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.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Archean eon.

35. About how old is the universe?
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
13.7 billion years
4.55 billion years

36. What was the first macromolecule of protobionts?
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
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.
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago

37. What are the seven characteristics of life?
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
4.6 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.

38. What is chemical selection?
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
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.
Archean eon.
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.

39. According to the seven characteristics of life - are viruses alive?
Archean eon.
4-3.5 billion years ago
No
13.7 billion years

40. About how old is the earth?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Archean eon.
4.55 billion years
On clay.

41. What was the reducing atmosphere hypothesis?
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
4.55 billion years

42. What was the deep-sea vent hypothesis?
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
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.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
4.55 billion years

43. What was the 4th of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
1.5 billion years ago

44. About how long ago did the earth's crust cool?
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
4 billion years ago
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.

45. What is the hypothetical RNA chemical selection scenario?
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.
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
On clay.
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

46. About how long ago did life first appear?
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.
4-3.5 billion years ago
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
3.8-3.5 billion years ago

47. What was the 2nd 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.
No
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

48. What is the advantage of DNA over RNA?
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.
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.
Archean eon.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.

49. What are two possible explanations for the origin of eukaryotes?
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
4.6 billion years

50. What was the 3rd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Archean eon.