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

2. What is a Protobiont?
1.5 billion years ago
4-3.5 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.

3. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
4-3.5 billion years ago

4. What was the 3rd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
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.

5. What is a Protobiont?
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 billion years ago
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
13.7 billion years

6. What was the 1st of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
4 billion years ago
On clay.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
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.

7. What is the advantage of proteins over RNA?
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
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

8. 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
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

9. Where could RNA polymerization have first occured if not in water?
4.6 billion years
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.
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution

10. About how old is the universe?
Archean eon.
13.7 billion years
No
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.

11. About how long ago did the earth's crust cool?
Archean eon.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
4 billion years ago

12. What are the seven characteristics of life?
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.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
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.

13. About how long ago did life first appear?
1.5 billion years ago
4-3.5 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.
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.

14. What are three advantages multicellularity provides for eukaryotes?
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins

15. About how long ago did life first appear?
4-3.5 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.
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago

16. What is the hypothetical RNA chemical selection scenario?
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
1.5 billion years ago
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
13.7 billion years

17. What was the reducing atmosphere hypothesis?
4-3.5 billion years ago
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
4-3.5 billion years ago

18. What was the 4th of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
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.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.

19. 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.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth

20. What have experiments shown about prebiotic synthesis of polymers in aqueous solutions?
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

21. What are Coacervates?
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.
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.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago

22. What are Liposomes?
4.55 billion years
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
4-3.5 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.

23. What was the 4th of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
13.7 billion years
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.

24. 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).
Archean eon.
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

25. What are Liposomes?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
No
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.

26. What are fossils?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
Preserved remains of past life on Earth

27. What was the deep-sea vent hypothesis?
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
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.
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.

28. 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.
No
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).

29. Around when did multicellular eukaryotic organisms first appear?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
1.5 billion years ago
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.

30. Prokaryotic life arose during what eon?
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Archean eon.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
1.5 billion years ago

31. About how old is the earth?
Archean eon.
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
1.5 billion years ago
4.55 billion years

32. About how old is the solar system?
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
4.6 billion years
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.

33. Where could RNA polymerization have first occured if not in water?
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
On clay.
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.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago

34. According to the seven characteristics of life - are viruses alive?
No
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.

35. What is the hypothetical RNA chemical selection scenario?
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.

36. About how old is the solar system?
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
Archean eon.
4.6 billion years
Preserved remains of past life on Earth

37. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
1.5 billion years ago
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
4.55 billion years
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).

38. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
Archean eon.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

39. What was the deep-sea vent hypothesis?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
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.
4.6 billion years

40. 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
4.6 billion years
On clay.
4.55 billion years

41. 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.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Archean eon.

42. What is the advantage of DNA over RNA?
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
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.

43. What is chemical selection?
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
Archean eon.
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

44. Prokaryotic life arose during what eon?
4 billion years ago
Archean eon.
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.

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

46. What is the advantage of proteins over RNA?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
No

47. What are two possible explanations for the origin of multicellularity?
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.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells

48. What are Coacervates?
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
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.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

49. Around when did eukaryotic organisms first appear?
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).
On clay.
4.55 billion years

50. Around when did multicellular eukaryotic organisms first appear?
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
Archean eon.
1.5 billion years ago
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells