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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. Around when did prokaryotic organisms first appear?
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins

2. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Archean eon.

3. Name 4 characteristics of protobionts.
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.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago

4. Where could RNA polymerization have first occured if not in water?
On clay.
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
1.5 billion years ago
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.

5. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
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.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

6. What is the advantage of proteins over RNA?
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
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.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

7. 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.
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

8. Around when did prokaryotic organisms first appear?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
4-3.5 billion years ago
13.7 billion years
3.8-3.5 billion years ago

9. What was the 3rd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
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.
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.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

10. Around when did multicellular eukaryotic organisms first appear?
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 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
1.5 billion years ago

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

12. What was the 4th of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
4.6 billion years

13. What are the seven characteristics of life?
4-3.5 billion years ago
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
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).

14. Name 4 characteristics of protobionts.
No
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.
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.

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

16. What are Coacervates?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Archean eon.
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

17. What was the 2nd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
On clay.
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

18. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

19. About how long ago did life first appear?
4-3.5 billion years ago
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
13.7 billion years
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.

20. According to the seven characteristics of life - are viruses alive?
4 billion years ago
1.5 billion years ago
No
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution

21. What was the deep-sea vent hypothesis?
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.
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

22. What was the 1st of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
On clay.
1.5 billion years ago

23. About how old is the solar system?
1.5 billion years ago
4.55 billion years
4.6 billion years
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes

24. What is the advantage of DNA over RNA?
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
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.
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

25. What are Coacervates?
1.5 billion years ago
4.55 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. About how old is the earth?
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.
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

27. About how old is the earth?
4-3.5 billion years ago
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
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

28. 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
1.5 billion years ago
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.

29. What are Liposomes?
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
4.6 billion years
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins

30. About how old is the universe?
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
13.7 billion years
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

31. What have experiments shown about prebiotic synthesis of polymers in aqueous solutions?
4-3.5 billion years ago
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.

32. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
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
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins

33. What are two possible explanations for the origin of eukaryotes?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Archean eon.
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).

34. What are fossils?
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
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
Preserved remains of past life on Earth

35. Where could RNA polymerization have first occured if not in water?
4.6 billion years
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.
On clay.

36. 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.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
13.7 billion years
4 billion years ago

37. What are fossils?
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.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
4-3.5 billion years ago

38. What are Liposomes?
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.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.

39. Prokaryotic life arose during what eon?
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
Archean eon.
4.55 billion years

40. What are three advantages multicellularity provides for eukaryotes?
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
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.
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.

41. What have experiments shown about prebiotic synthesis of polymers in aqueous solutions?
4 billion years ago
Archean eon.
4.6 billion years
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.

42. What was the deep-sea vent hypothesis?
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.
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
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 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.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.

44. Around when did multicellular eukaryotic organisms first appear?
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
1.5 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.

45. Around when did eukaryotic organisms first appear?
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.
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
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.

46. About how long ago did the earth's crust cool?
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
No
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
4 billion years ago

47. What is a Protobiont?
4.55 billion years
No
Archean eon.
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.

48. What are three advantages multicellularity provides for eukaryotes?
4.6 billion years
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.
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.

49. About how old is the universe?
4.55 billion years
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
13.7 billion years
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.

50. About how old is the solar system?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
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.
4.6 billion years