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Origins Of Life

Subject : science

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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 are two possible explanations for the origin of multicellularity?
13.7 billion years
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.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

2. About how old is the universe?
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
No
13.7 billion years
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.

3. Around when did multicellular eukaryotic organisms first appear?
1.5 billion years ago
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
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.
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. About how long ago did the earth's crust cool?
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
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.
4 billion years ago

5. About how long ago did the earth's crust cool?
4 billion years ago
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
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.

6. About how old is the solar system?
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
No
4.6 billion years
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.

7. Around when did eukaryotic organisms first appear?
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.
4.6 billion years
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

8. What is the advantage of proteins over RNA?
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
4 billion years ago
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

9. What was the reducing atmosphere hypothesis?
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
4 billion years ago
4.55 billion years
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.

10. What was the first macromolecule of protobionts?
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
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.

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

12. 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.
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
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.

13. What are Coacervates?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
On clay.
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.

14. What is chemical selection?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
3.8-3.5 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.
4.55 billion years

15. What is the advantage of DNA over 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.
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
On clay.
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.

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

17. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
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
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
4.6 billion years

18. Name 4 characteristics of protobionts.
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
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.
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.

19. Prokaryotic life arose during what eon?
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
13.7 billion years
Archean eon.

20. About how old is the earth?
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
4 billion years ago
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
4.55 billion years

21. What are three advantages multicellularity provides for eukaryotes?
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
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.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.

22. What are fossils?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
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
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

23. What are two possible explanations for the origin of multicellularity?
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
4 billion years ago
4.55 billion years
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes

24. Around when did prokaryotic organisms first appear?
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
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

25. 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.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
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).

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

27. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
4 billion years ago
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

28. What are three advantages multicellularity provides for eukaryotes?
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.
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.

29. What was the deep-sea vent hypothesis?
4 billion years ago
No
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.

30. About how old is the earth?
4.55 billion years
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.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins

31. What was the 4th of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
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.
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.

32. 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
1.5 billion years ago
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago

33. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
4.55 billion years
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
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

34. What was the 1st of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
Archean eon.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
4-3.5 billion years ago

35. About how long ago did life first appear?
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.
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

36. What was the reducing atmosphere hypothesis?
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
Archean eon.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.

37. What was the 3rd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
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
13.7 billion years
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

38. Around when did prokaryotic organisms first appear?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Archean eon.
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.

39. What are Coacervates?
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
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.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago

40. What is the advantage of proteins 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.
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
4-3.5 billion years ago

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

42. According to the seven characteristics of life - are viruses alive?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
13.7 billion years
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
No

43. What is a Protobiont?
4.6 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.
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.

44. Around when did multicellular eukaryotic organisms first appear?
1.5 billion years ago
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.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins

45. 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.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Archean eon.

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

47. About how old is the solar system?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
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
4.6 billion years

48. What is the hypothetical RNA chemical selection scenario?
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
No
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.

49. Where could RNA polymerization have first occured if not in water?
On clay.
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.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

50. 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.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
3.8-3.5 billion years ago