13 - Astrobiology

Question 1

process of mutation, variation, natural selection, adjust to environment for offspring

Answer 1

biological evolution

Question 2

process of differing rate of survival/reproduction. most successful traits survive and is directed by environmental changes

Answer 2

natural selection

Question 3

carbon-based life essential

Answer 3

liquid water

Question 4

chemical process to growth of complex molecules

Answer 4

chemical evolution

Question 5

rich solution of organic molecules in early earth oceans

Answer 5

primordial soup

Question 6

early earth model, gas producing amino acids and organic compounds 1952 experiment

Answer 6

miller-urey experiment

Question 7

layered rock formation, mats of algae and/or Cyanobacteria captured sediment

Answer 7

stromatolites

Question 8

organisms of more than one cell

Answer 8

multicellular life forms

Question 9

‘cool’ ocean floor geothermally warmed water

Answer 9

alkaline hydrothermal vent

Question 10

what are the two questions that are asked in astrobiology in search for life of other worlds?

Answer 10

1. how likely is that a planet will develop life of any kind?
2. how likely is it that we could identify and communicate with that life if it were intelligent?

Question 11

region around a star which temperatures permit existence of liquid surface water (low luminosity stars have little of this while high-luminosity stars have a lot of this)

Answer 11

habitable zone

Question 12

“the probability of success is difficult to estimate; but if we never search, the probability is zero”

Answer 12

search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)

Question 13

what equation estimates the total number of communicative civilizations in our galaxy?

Answer 13

Drake Equation