Chapter 25 Flashcards
Origin of the universe
Big Bang 13.7 BYA
Milky way formation
~4.6 BYA. Young collection of stars, dust, planets. Act as a unit and rotate around
Earth
formed about 4.5 BYA. Beginning was hot and violent. Carbon and water burned off. Comets struck often. Gravitation still pulling everything together
Hadean period
Asteroids common. Vaporized entire oceans. Dramatic changes from fiery to frozen (snowball earth). Not hospitable for life
No rocks exist.
Archean period
Fossil evidence of life 3.2 - 3.5 BYA, maybe 3.9 but no rocks
Oldest prokaryote fossils
3.5 BYA
First multicellular organism
700 MYA
Cyanobacteria
2.2 BYA
Appearance of oxygen in atmosphere
2 BYA
Oldest definite fossils of eukaryotes
1.5 BYA
Extraterrestrial hypothesis
“Panspermia” Organic molecules have extraterrestrial origins idea. Meteorites on earth have carboxylic and sulfonic acids
4 Stages in the chemical evolution of life
1 Formation of small organic molecules, nucleotides, and amino acids
2 Organic molecules formed polymers. DNA, RNA, and proteins.
3 Polymers were enclosed in membranes.
4 Polymers and membranes developed cellular properties
Comet impacts
Given rise to more complex organic molecules. Energy important for building. 100,000 atm vs 100 atm bottom of ocean
Stage 1 formation of organic molecules
Current hypotheses suggest organic molecules formed spontaneously from earth materials. Formed and/or sequestered in H2O.
Primordial or Prebiotic soup - mixture of chemical and environmental forces to form bonds.
Doesn’t need to have clay
Reducing atmosphere on early earth
CO2, carbon monoxide CO , Nitrogen N2, water vapor H2O, Hydrogen H2, hydrogen sulfide H2S, (Methane? CH4, ammonia? NH3)
NO OXYGEN