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Biol Behind the news > Chemistry of life, here and elsewhere > Flashcards

Chemistry of life, here and elsewhere Flashcards

1
Q

What are we looking for when search for ET life?

A

chemical signatures of life (oxygen and methane)

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2
Q

Copernicus

A

said that the sun is the centre of the universe not earth. We are not that special!

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3
Q

What is the evidence that life came from a single origin?

A

the universality of the genetic code

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4
Q

What are the 6 attributes of life?

A

1) grow/ reproduce
2) selective barrier
3) transform matter and energy (metabolism)
4) produce large, complicated molecules
5) respond to stimuli
6) evolve

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5
Q

free energy

A

energy that has the capacity to do work. can undergo any change except increasing the random motions of particles

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6
Q

disequilibrium

A

because of metabolism, life is in a constant state of disequilibrium

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7
Q

carbon-based

A

life is said to be carbon based as all moleculeles aside from water contain carbon

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8
Q

chiral

A

cannot be superimposed on its mirror image. a carbon molecule with four different atoms/groups bound

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9
Q

how do water molecules stick together?

A

they stick together via it polarity resulting in hydrogen bonds

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10
Q

hydrophyllic vs hydrophobic

A

hydrophillic- soluable in water

hydrophobic- insoluable in water (creates barriers within and around cells)

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11
Q

in what environment do most biochemical reactions take place>

A

aqueous

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12
Q

functions of sugars

A

energy source
energy transport
carbon skeletons for modification

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13
Q

functions of polysaccharides

A

energy storage and structural support

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14
Q

typical structure of lipids

A

hydrocarbons

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15
Q

fatty acids

A

component of larger lipid molecules

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16
Q

triglycerides

A

solid/liquid fats- energy source and storage

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17
Q

phospholipids

A

components of membranes around cells and around compartments within cells

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18
Q

sterols

A

chemical signalling and membrane stabilization

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19
Q

functions of proteins

A 
enzymes
structure and movement- cytoskeleton
transport of materials across membranes
transmission of signals- w/in cells and between cells
defense
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20
Q

nucleic acids

A

DNA and RNA (nucleotides)

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21
Q

functions of nucleic acids

A

information storage and retrieval
energy currency and transfer
electron currency and transfer

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22
Q

structure of DNA

A

double stranded helix- complimentary base pairing and stabalized by weak hydrogen bonds

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23
Q

members of biomolecule classes covalently bound togetehr>

A

glycoproteins and glycolipids

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24
Q

non-covalently bound biomolecules

A

chromatin (DNA and proteins) and ribosomes (RNA and proteins)

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25
Q

hard ones to classify

A

cofactors, vitamins, and mineral ions

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26
Q

extremeophiles

A

life living in extreme conditions like high temp or high salinity

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27
Q

biosignatures

A

any evidence or indication of life, living or dead. An important example is the presence of water. A more complicated example would be a carb, protein etc

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28
Q

A good general biosignature test is?

A

whether or not the atmosphere is in disequilibrium

29
Q

what are the two waste products in the earths atmosphere?

A

oxygen and methane

30
Q

Some other biosignatures looked for on martian and other ET places?

A

formaldehyde and methanol

31
Q

what other things could you look over?

A

chirality and isotopic ratios

32
Q

a morphological biosignature

A

things that appear to be in cellular form

33
Q

how to study mars

A

telescopes, uncrewed probes, meteorites from mars, human crewed missions

34
Q

examples of uncrewed probes

A

flybys, orbiters, landers, rovers, sample return missions

35
Q

Ancient mars had the following

A 
geological activity (volcanoes)
liquid core that produced a magnetic field
thick CO2 and water vapour atmosphere 
higher temps
large bodies of water
36
Q

what was the importance of the thick atmosphere

A

protected the magnetic core

37
Q

lithopanspermia

A

life travels on rick from one planet to another

38
Q

panspermia

A

life can withstand the travel through space

39
Q

Allans Hills 840041

A

a meteor found in antartica that had polycyclic hydrocarbons, magnetite, shapes that look like nanobacteria

40
Q

what happened to Mars between then and now?

A

core solidified, geological activity stopped, and the magnetic field weakened.
solar wind stripped away atmosphere and that no longer replenished volcanic activity

41
Q

What happend to the water on mars

A

blasted into space by meteor impacts and the remaining water froze in subsurface layers

42
Q

Current conditions on mars today

atmosphere, temp, geology, radiation

A

96% CO2 (traces of CO2, O2, CH4)
below freezing temp
no geological activity
lots because of lack of atmosphere?

43
Q

The viking landers

A

performed experiments to test for presence of living processes but came up empty

44
Q

what experiments was the viking landers were they gunna do?

A

gas chromatography- Mass spectrometry to seperate martian soil then mass to determine molecular weights and identities
labelled release experiment- seven nutrients carried by the probs labelled with C14 was added to the soil and the release of 14co2 into the air above the reaction was then measured

45
Q

Mars express orbiter (2003-2004) and the curiosity rover

A

ground-based observations and detected methane in varying trace amounts

46
Q

meaning of methane

A

not very stable so if present it must be gettign release relatively consistently

47
Q

possible sources of

A

microbes in the soil or water and olivine

48
Q

recurring slope linae

A

dark colourations that suggest that liquid water still flows periodically on Mars

49
Q

where is ice water currently in existence on Mars now?

A

lower latitudes under soil surface and polar caps. There is also some vapour in the atmosphere

50
Q

phoenix lander discovered

A

subsurface water ice, snow, perchlorate

51
Q

perchlorate

A

a strong oxidant which some organisms can use for energy

52
Q

Curiosity rover (2012-presnt)

A

detected spike in methane in 2013-2014

53
Q

Important features we know

A

methane in the atmosphere, subsurface water, streaks, the ocean

54
Q

Europa

A

moon of jupiter

55
Q

What are some characteristics of europa?

A

weak magnetic field from a lunar-wide conducting liquid

icy layer atop of a v deep salty water

56
Q

Future tests for Europa?

A

Eurpa CLipper will analyse material ejected from the gysers and study the ocean
a lander with seismometer to measure ice quakes

57
Q

Enceladus

A

moon of saturn

58
Q

Characterisitics of Enceladus?

A

has a ocean of salty liquid water underneath an icy surface crust with over 100 geysers shooting water.vapor with organic molecules and salt present

59
Q

Future tests for Enceladus>

A

collect some of the particles from geysers and bring back to earth

60
Q

Calisto and Ganymede

A

moons of Jupiter

61
Q

Characteristics of Calisto and Ganymede

A

perhaps have water oceans between layers of ice

62
Q

Titan

A

moon of saturn, the first one discovered

63
Q

characteristics of Titan

A

has a dense atmosphere of N2 and little methane but no CO2, O2 or water. Has some complicated organic chemistry present
rocky surface with geological activity and land forms such as mountains and valleys as well as rivers and lakes of hydrocarbons (methane and ethane)

64
Q

What does titan have that is similar to earth

A

a methane cycle similar to the hydrological cycle on Earth

65
Q

What are the barriers, alothough fatal on earth, do not eliminate the possibility of life on titan?

A

very cold temperatures and no water

66
Q

James Webb Space Telescope

A

search the atmospheres of extrasolar earth-like planets, looking for chemical signatures of life

67
Q

Darwins human dethronement

A

not considered the point of the bioshpere, we are just part of the chain

68
Q

Freud

A

makes us aware of the unconscience things that drive us

Biol Behind the news (9 decks)

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