Chem Quiz 1 Flashcards
What does O2 in the planetary atmosphere indicate?
It is the litmus test of life, as only life can produce O2, so its presence signals the presence of life
H2O signals potential for life, where o2 signals fulfillment
What did Priestly discover? When?
He discovered O2 in 1774 by focusing sunlight onto mercuric oxide
2Hg + 2Hg +O2
What did Lavoisier discover?
He proved that O2 is the reactive constituting of air.
He vaporized diamonds (which are made of carbon) by heating them in the presence of O2. He created a combustion reaction.
C + O = CO2
He showed that combustion and human respiration are fundamentally the same, both consuming O2 as as well as materials which contain carbon
Free radical theory
Ageing is caused by breathing O2 over a lifetime
(Involves damage of cellular constituents by free radicals)
States that O2 is not only necessary for life, but also the primary cause of aging and death.
O2 is not only essential and beneficial for life but also _____
Toxic
Depending on concernetation and duration of exposure.
Animals die below 16%
When animals are exposed to 75% oxygen their lungs become severely inflamed and leads to their demise a few short days later
Who were Haldane and Oparin?
In the 1930s they thought about the possible composition of the earths original atmosphere based on gases identified in the atmosphere of Jupiter (optical spectroscopy)
What is thought of the earths original atmosphere?
If earth condensed from a cloud of gas/dust, its original atmosphere must have contained a similar noxious mixture as Jupiter:
- h2, CH4, NH3, gases from volcanic activity (CO2, H2O, N2,H2S)
-did not contain O2, a reducing atmosphere
What is the Miller-Urey Experiment
In 1953, they simulated early earth by passing electric sparks (lightning) through a gaseous mixture which resembles the atmosphere of early earth. Days later, a brown solution was obtained and amino acids where detected.
Could we have evolved from hydrothermal vents?
Yes,
At hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, organisms use the oxidation of sulfur compounds so as energy sources.
Ex. Pyrolobus fumarii and picophilus torridus
What is the snowball earth hypothesis?
Tropics were covered with glaciers 1km thick at multiple points throughout history
What are the two hypothesis’ for the snowball earth?
1) O2 used up the methane. Since methane is more potent than CO2, a decline in GHG potency reduces atmospheric temperature
2O2 + CH4 = CO2 +2H2O
2) tectonics. All land mass was free of ice and when continental rocks are exposed to air, they are eroded by dissolved CO2. And with CO2 consumption due to photosynthesis as an added factor, the CO2concentration in the atmosphere declines
Who was pasteaur?
He stated that yeast and anaerobic organisms exist today as relics of a i cent life, as the first cells presumably evolved in an O2-free atmosphere
What were the first photosynthetic bacteria?
Cyanobacteria (work as stromatolites, proving that they superseded singe celled life in oceans)
How are Cyanobacteria related to the great oxygenation event?
Cyanobacteria started to pollute their environment with toxic O2 waster. This produced O2 that reacted with minerals that are dissolved in oceans (iron). Only after this buffer is used up, O2 began to build up 2.2-2.0 billion years ago. This wiped many microbes out in the great oxygenation event
How did the snowball earth go away?
Volcanic activity
Eruptions release CO2, no photosynthesis or rock erosion on an ice-covered planet, so GHG builds up, causing warming.
The cyro-ecosystems that survived the snowball earth left high levels of nutrients in glaciers, causing a bloom of Cyanobacteria and a rise in free O2
Why did the Cambrian explosion occur?
The rise of O2 in the atmosphere produced from the bloom of Cyanobacteria after the snowball earth caused the Cambrian explosion
Rising O2 levels opened new horizons for Precambrian life. The Cambrian explosion was caused by the interplay between genetic possibility and environmental opportunity
O2 is ____ but not _____ to the evolution of multicellular organisms
Linked, but not causal
How did the ozone layer form? What is it?
Rising levels of O2 post snowball earth.
The ozone reduces penetration of damaging UV rays to the surface of the earth by 70%, creating a protective shield or “earths natural sunscreen”.
what is the GAIA hypothesis? Who formulated it?
Co-evolution of macroscopic and microscopic events on earth
Lovelock and Margulis
Atmosphere, biosphere, oceans and soil constitute a complex system which seeks optimal conditions fro biota. Possible homeostasis on a planetary scale? (Not many scientists support this view)
How do we know CO2 concentration over time?
Ice core data, gas gets trapped as snow is deposited. The entrapped gas is encased in amber.
What is the troposphere?
10km in altitude
- vertical mixing (stove), barrier for H2O vapour, 85% of mall of atmosphere
What is the Aurora borealis?
When free electrons are recaptured by ionized gases
What is the stratosphere?
10-50Km altitude
Temp increase, slow vertical mixing (stratified)
What is the mesosphere?
50-80km in altitude
Very thin air, strong vertical mixing
What is the thermosphere?
80+km, extending into outer space, characterized by steadily increasing temperature with height
Like a vacuum
What is the ionosphere ?
100-400km
Ionization of atmospheric gases
Where earths atmosphere meets space
Contains high concentration of ions and free elections and is able to reflect radio waves
What are the concentration units for atmospheric gases?
Absolute concentrations
Relative concentrations
What are absolute concentrations?
Units for measuring atmospheric gases
Molecules per cm3
Expressed as partial pressure (ideal gas law)
What are relative concentrations?
Units for measuring atmospheric gases
Mole fraction scale
Expresses the number of molecules of a pollutant that are presents in 1 million (billion, trillion) molecules of air
100ppm
What is the electro magnetic spectrum ?
Wavelength ranges of greater environmental interest
What is UV-C
The 200-280nm region where O3 and O2 filter out all UV light
What is the UV-B region?
From 280-320 nm
Ozone is not completely effect in shielding us from light i this region