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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 deep-sea vent hypothesis?
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
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.
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution

2. What was the 4th of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
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.
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.
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.

3. What was the 2nd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.

4. What are three advantages multicellularity provides for eukaryotes?
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 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.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.

5. About how old is the earth?
4.55 billion years
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
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.

6. 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.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

7. 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.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
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.

8. About how old is the universe?
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.
13.7 billion years
1.5 billion years ago

9. According to the seven characteristics of life - are viruses alive?
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
No
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

10. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.

11. 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.
No
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution

12. What are two possible explanations for the origin of multicellularity?
13.7 billion years
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
No

13. 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).
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.
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).

14. Around when did prokaryotic organisms first appear?
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
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.

15. What are Liposomes?
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
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.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

16. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
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.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.

17. 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.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
1.5 billion years ago
Archean eon.

18. 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.
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
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.

19. What was the reducing atmosphere hypothesis?
No
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
4-3.5 billion years ago

20. 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.
4 billion years ago
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

21. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.

22. What are fossils?
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
4.55 billion years
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.

23. Around when did prokaryotic organisms first appear?
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
4 billion years ago

24. What are the seven characteristics of life?
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
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
4 billion years ago

25. What was the 3rd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.

26. About how old is the solar system?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
4.6 billion years

27. Name 4 characteristics of protobionts.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
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.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago

28. Around when did multicellular eukaryotic organisms first appear?
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
1.5 billion years ago

29. What was the 1st of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
1.5 billion years ago
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells

30. What was the 3rd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.

31. What is a Protobiont?
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose 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.
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.

32. What is the advantage of DNA over RNA?
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
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.

33. What was the 1st of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
13.7 billion years
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
4.6 billion years

34. About how long ago did life first appear?
4-3.5 billion years ago
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth

35. What are Coacervates?
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells

36. 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).
4.55 billion years
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.

37. Prokaryotic life arose during what eon?
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
4 billion years ago
Archean eon.
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 was the first macromolecule of protobionts?
13.7 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.
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.

39. About how long ago did the earth's crust cool?
13.7 billion years
4 billion years ago
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.

40. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
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.

41. What are Coacervates?
1.5 billion years ago
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
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.

42. What was the reducing atmosphere hypothesis?
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.
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.
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).

43. What have experiments shown about prebiotic synthesis of polymers in aqueous solutions?
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.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
13.7 billion years
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.

44. About how old is the solar system?
4.6 billion years
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
1.5 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.

45. Around when did multicellular eukaryotic organisms first appear?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
1.5 billion years ago
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
4.55 billion years

46. What have experiments shown about prebiotic synthesis of polymers in aqueous solutions?
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
13.7 billion years
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.

47. Name 4 characteristics of protobionts.
1.5 billion years ago
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
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

48. About how old is the universe?
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.
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
13.7 billion years

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

50. What was the first macromolecule 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.
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
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution