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Astrobiology > Biology and Chemistry > Flashcards

Biology and Chemistry Flashcards

understand the biological and chemical features which affect our understanding of Astrobiology

1
Q

Describe the link between DNA, RNA and Proteins

A
  • DNA stores information

- DNA is then transcribed into RNA

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2
Q

What functions do proteins carry out?

A
  • Replication

- Metabolism

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3
Q

What are Fisher-Tropsch reactions used for?

A

Developed to produce fuel from inorganic precursors

co2 and co –> ch4

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4
Q

What is CHNOPS?

A
  • Carbon
  • Hydrogen
  • Nitrogen
  • Oxygen
  • Phosphorus
  • Sulphur
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5
Q

Chemicals with low boiling points that are associated with a planets crust or atmosphere is known as what?

A

Volatiles

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6
Q

Describe what is meant by the “Tree of Life” and “LUCA”?

A
  • The tree of life is a map which shows how all organisms are related to one another and how they evolved
  • LUCA stands for Last Universal Common Ancestor, which is the furthest back organism we can trace evolution too. we can use things like ribosomes to do this
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7
Q

How old is the first best example of life on earth?

A

3.43 Ga

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8
Q

What type of organisms appear at the root of the Tree of Life?

A
  • Methanogens

- Anoxygenic photosynthesisors

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9
Q

What are methanogens?

A
  • A special type of anoxygenic photosynthesisors

- Methanogens are organisms that produce CH4 as a by-product of photosynthesis

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10
Q

When did the first sign of oxygenic photosynthesis occur?

A

2.7 Ga

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11
Q

Describe the great Oxidation event and its impact on earth

A
  • Greatest re-organisations of biogeochemical cycles in earths history
  • Caused by the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis
  • Due to the atmosphere changing, this created a greenhouse effect that caused the glaciers to melt and cause the oxidation of oceans
  • This would have killed most life on earth due to the fact oxygen was poisonous to early life on earth
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12
Q

What is a Eukaryote and when were they dated?

A
  • Oxygenic photsynthesising Multi-celled organism which contain the first signs of the Mitochondria and Chloroplast
  • 1.9 Ga
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13
Q

What is an extremophile?

A

microorganisms or singe celled organisms which survive and thrive in harsh conditions such as extreme temperatures and pH environments

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14
Q

What is the name given to the process where organisms enter a metabolic dormant state until conditions are no longer extreme?

A

Cryptobiosis

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15
Q

What is the terms given to organisms that can survive in High temperatures, Salt high environments and with no oxygen?

A
  • Thermophiles
  • Halophiles
  • Anaerobes
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16
Q

What are some of the remotely detectable biosignatures?

A
  • Analysis of atmosphere can reveal Oxygenic Photosynthesis

- reflected light from planetary surfaces –> Vegetation red edge

17
Q

True or False

-The strongest biosignatures are given by a mix of oxidising and reducing agents, rather than one or the other

A

True

18
Q

What are the three types of Biosignatures?

A

-Type 1, redox gradients
-Type 2, by-products building in the atmosphere
-Type 3, secondary byproducts of photo-chemical reactions
gaseous
surface
temporal

19
Q

How does the ISS help us understand problems in astrobiology?

A
  • how physical processes effect the evolution of life and how this would develop on other worlds
  • understand the limits of terrestrial life processes and biochemistry
  • effects of gravity and radiation on the evolution of life
  • development of biotechnology and medicine
20
Q

Name some of the factors that effect natural selection

A
  • climate change
  • population change and interaction
  • disease
  • stochastic events and natural disasters
21
Q

Name the biological macro-molecules that make up living cells

A
  • Nucleic acid
  • Protein
  • Lipid
  • Carbohydrates
22
Q

What is the name given to extremophiles that can survive in cold conditions?

A

Psychrophiles / cryophiles

23
Q

What is the name given to extremophiles that can survive in very Basic (high pH) conditions?

A

alkaliphiles

24
Q

Name an environment where you would find a thermophile

A
  • near or in Hydrothermal vents

- deserts

25
Q

Name an environment where you would find a psychrophile

A

in the antarctic or either of the poles of earth

26
Q

Name some of the benefits of using the ISS to test survival in low gravity, radioactive conditions

A
  • we can test the limitations of terrestrial biochemistry and physiology
  • we can see how varying levels of radiation and gravity effect evolution
27
Q

What is astro-botany?

A

Growing food in space

28
Q

What is evolution theory?

A
  • Can be used to make predictions about potential alien life
  • if aliens undergo natural selection then we can say something about how biological complexity will develop elsewhere

Astrobiology (4 decks)

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