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

2. What are two possible explanations for the origin of eukaryotes?
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.
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).
3.8-3.5 billion years ago

3. About how long ago did life first appear?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
No
4-3.5 billion years ago

4. What are fossils?
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
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.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.

5. What are three advantages multicellularity provides for eukaryotes?
13.7 billion years
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes

6. Name 4 characteristics of protobionts.
4.6 billion years
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
4.6 billion years

7. What was the extraterrestrial/Panspermia hypothesis?
No
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.

8. 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.
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.
4 billion years ago

9. What is the hypothetical RNA chemical selection scenario?
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.
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

10. What was the reducing atmosphere hypothesis?
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.

11. What are the seven characteristics of life?
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.
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.

12. About how old is the universe?
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
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.
13.7 billion years

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

14. What are fossils?
4-3.5 billion years ago
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
Preserved remains of past life on Earth
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes

15. What are two possible explanations for the origin of multicellularity?
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.
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.

16. Around when did prokaryotic organisms first appear?
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.
3.8-3.5 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).

17. According to the seven characteristics of life - are viruses alive?
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
No
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
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.

18. Where could RNA polymerization have first occured if not in water?
On clay.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins

19. About how old is the solar system?
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
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.
4.6 billion years

20. What is the advantage of proteins over RNA?
1.5 billion years ago
4 billion years ago
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Metabolism and other cellular functions. Proteins have a greater catalytic potential and efficiency. Proteins can perform other tasks - cytoskeleton - transport - etc.

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

22. About how old is the earth?
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.
On clay.
4.55 billion years

23. What are Liposomes?
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.

24. 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).
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
4.55 billion years

25. 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.
13.7 billion years
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.

26. What are Liposomes?
Vesicles surrounded by a lipid layer. Clay can catalyze formation of liposomes that grow and divide. Liposomes can enclose RNA.
13.7 billion years
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
It is not possible because hydrolysis competes with polymerization.

27. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
1.5 billion years ago
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes

28. What was the 1st of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Biologically important molecules may have been formed in the temperature gradient between extremely hot vent water and cold ocean water.
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
4 billion years ago

29. 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).
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.
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?
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.
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.

31. Around when did eukaryotic organisms first appear?
2.5-2.0 billion years ago
4.55 billion years
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.

32. Changes in living organisms are the result of what?
Archean eon.
Genetic changes and/or Environmental changes
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
13.7 billion years

33. What have experiments shown about prebiotic synthesis of polymers in aqueous solutions?
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.
No
RNA. It has the ability to store information - capacity for self-replication - and has enzymatic funciton in the form of ribozymes.

34. 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.
4 billion years ago
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.

35. About how old is the earth?
The building blocks of life on Earth arrived via meteors.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
No
4.55 billion years

36. 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.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

37. 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.
No
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

38. Around when did prokaryotic organisms first appear?
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
Cell specialization (e.g. - somatic and reproductive cells) - bigger (e.g. - to avoid predation) - more efficient at utilizing resources.
On clay.

39. 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.
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.
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.

40. What was the 1st of the overlapping stages in the origin of life?
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
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.
Archean eon.

41. Prokaryotic life arose during what eon?
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
Archean eon.
Polymers became enclosed in membranes

42. About how long ago did life first appear?
4-3.5 billion years ago
Polymers became enclosed in membranes
4 billion years ago
No

43. What are the seven characteristics of life?
On clay.
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
Atmospheric water vapor - methane - hydrogen - and ammonia catalyzed by lightning formed precursor molecules. This was tested in the Miller/Urey experiment.
Cells and organization - energy use and metabolism - response to environmental changes - regulation and homeostasis - growth and development - reproduction - biological evolution

44. What is the hypothetical RNA chemical selection scenario?
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
One of the RNA molecules mutates and has enzymatic ability to attach nucleotides together. A second mutation produces enzymatic ability to synthesize nucleotides.
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.

45. What was the 2nd 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.
Nucleotides and amino acids became polymerized to form DNA - RNA and proteins
No
Archean eon.

46. Prokaryotic life arose during what eon?
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.
Archean eon.
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).
Droplets that form spontaneously from the association of charged polymers. Enzymes trapped inside can perform primitive metabolic functions.

47. About how old is the universe?
No
Nucleotides and amino acids were produced prior to the existence of cells
13.7 billion years
Two prokaryotic cells living symbiotically and merging OR one prokaryote engulfing a smaller one in an endosymbiotic relationship (data supports this one).

48. Where could RNA polymerization have first occured if not in water?
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.
3.8-3.5 billion years ago
On clay.

49. What are two possible explanations for the origin of multicellularity?
4.55 billion years
Polymers enclosed in membranes acquired cellular properties.
Individuals form a colony OR a single cell divides and stays stuck together.
13.7 billion years

50. Around when did eukaryotic organisms first appear?
On clay.
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.
Archean eon.