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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 chemical selection?
No
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.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

2. What was the 4th of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
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.

3. 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
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.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.

4. Prokaryotic life arose during what eon?
4.55 billion years
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
Archean eon.
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.

5. What is the hypothetical RNA chemical selection scenario?
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
1.5 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.

6. According to the seven characteristics of life - are viruses alive?
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.
No
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.

7. What is a Protobiont?
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.
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.

8. Around when did prokaryotic organisms first appear?
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
3.8-3.5 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.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

9. Around when did eukaryotic organisms first appear?
13.7 billion years
Archean eon.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.

10. What are three advantages multicellularity provides for eukaryotes?
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
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.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins

11. 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
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth

12. About how old is the earth?
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
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

13. Where could RNA polymerization have first occured if not in water?
On clay.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
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

14. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
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.
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

15. 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.
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
4-3.5 billion years ago

16. Where could RNA polymerization have first occured if not in water?
On clay.
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.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth

17. What was the 4th of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
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.

18. What was the 3rd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Archean eon.
4 billion years ago
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

19. What was the reducing atmosphere hypothesis?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
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.
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.

20. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
4.55 billion years
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

21. What is chemical selection?
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.
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.

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

23. What was the 2nd 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.
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

24. What are Liposomes?
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.
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
2.5-2.0 billion years ago

25. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
On clay.
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.

26. Around when did multicellular eukaryotic organisms first appear?
1.5 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
Archean eon.

27. About how old is the universe?
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
13.7 billion years
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.

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

29. What are Coacervates?
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
4-3.5 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).

30. What was the reducing atmosphere hypothesis?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.

31. About how long ago did life first appear?
On clay.
4-3.5 billion years ago
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).

32. What is the advantage of proteins over RNA?
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).
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

33. 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.
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
Archean eon.

34. 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.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
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.

35. About how long ago did life first appear?
No
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
4-3.5 billion years ago
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells

36. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
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.

37. What are two possible explanations for the origin of multicellularity?
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
On clay.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.

38. 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.
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.
No

39. What is the advantage of DNA over RNA?
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
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.
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.

40. 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).
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.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.

41. Around when did eukaryotic organisms first appear?
2.5-2.0 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.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
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.

42. What was the deep-sea vent hypothesis?
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
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.
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.

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

44. What is the advantage of DNA over RNA?
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
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.

45. Name 4 characteristics of protobionts.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
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.
No
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.

46. 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.
13.7 billion years
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

47. What are two possible explanations for the origin of multicellularity?
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
4 billion years ago
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

48. Prokaryotic life arose during what eon?
Archean eon.
No
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
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.

49. What are Coacervates?
On clay.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
No
Archean eon.

50. What was the 3rd of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
4.6 billion years
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
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.