Lecture 2: The Origin of Life Flashcards
1
Q
Formation of solar system
A
- shocked by local supernova explosions
- gravitational collapse
2
Q
Formation of moon
A
- ejected from earths surface (left scar on pacific)
- captured by Earths gravitational field
- by huge impact of astroid with Earth
3
Q
Formation of oceans and atmosphere
A
cooled very quickly which allowed rocks to form, oceans to evolve and a highly reduced atmosphere appear
water came from astroids or melted hydrated rock
4
Q
oldest rock
A
acasta gneiss
5
Q
special creation
A
- idea that we all hatched from a seed or that there was a divine creator
6
Q
panspermia
A
theory that life came from outside
- undirected: dispersal of microbes from planet to planet
- directed: deliberate seeding of planets by aliens
- misdirected: galatic pollution
7
Q
spontaneous generation
A
purifying and decaying matter would create simple creatures
- miller urey experiment (understood that the synthesis of organic molecules came shortly after the creation of oceans)
8
Q
Two routes for origin of life
A
- genetics first
2. metabolism first
9
Q
stromatolites
A
formed by sheets of blue green algae with sediments
