Module 5: Earths Processes Flashcards
Urey- MIller Experiment
The Urey-Miller experiment (1953) simulated early Earth’s conditions by mixing water, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen with electrical sparks, resulting in the formation of amino acids, suggesting that life’s building blocks could arise from simple chemical reactions.
Stromatolites
Layered structures formed by the activity of cyanobacteria, providing evidence of early life on Earth.
Amino Acid
Organic compounds that combine to form proteins, essential for life.
Panspermia
Hypothesis suggesting that life exists throughout the universe, distributed by meteoroids, asteroids, and comets.
Chemosynthesis
Biological process where organisms produce energy by using inorganic molecules instead of sunlight, often occurring in hydrothermal vents.
Prokaryotic
Cells without a nucleus, such as bacteria and archaea.
Eukaryotic
Cells with a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, found in plants, animals, and fungi.
Hydrothermal Vent
A fissure on the seafloor where heated water and minerals are expelled, supporting unique ecosystems through chemosynthesis.
Anoxygenic Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis that does not produce oxygen, using molecules like hydrogen sulfide instead of water.
Oxygenic Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis that produces oxygen, typically carried out by cyanobacteria, algae, and plants.
Anoxic
Environments lacking oxygen, important in early Earth conditions.
Cyanobacteria
Photosynthetic bacteria responsible for producing oxygen in Earth’s early atmosphere.
Banded Iron Formations
Layers of iron-rich rock that indicate early oxygen production and interaction with dissolved iron in oceans.
Ediacaran Fauna
Early multicellular life forms that existed before the Cambrian explosion.
Cambrian Explosion
Rapid diversification of life approximately 541 million years ago, marking the appearance of most major animal groups.
Tetrapod
Vertebrates with four limbs, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Supercontinent
Large landmass formed by the convergence of multiple continents, like Pangaea.
Craton
Stable, ancient part of the continental lithosphere.
Adaptive Radiation
Evolutionary process where organisms diversify rapidly into new forms, often in response to environmental changes.
Fossil
Preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms.
Body Fossil
Fossilized remains of an organism’s body, such as bones or shells.
Trace Fossil
Fossilized evidence of an organism’s activity, like footprints or burrows.
Mould
Fossil formed when an organism leaves an impression in sediment that hardens into rock.
Cast
Fossil formed when a mould is filled with minerals or sediments that harden into the shape of the original organism.
Index Fossil
Fossil of an organism that lived during a specific time period, used to date rock layers.
Stratigraphy
Study of rock layers (strata) and their sequence, used to interpret Earth’s history.
Superposition
Geological principle stating that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom.
Uniformitarianism
Concept that the same geological processes occurring today have occurred in the past at similar rates.
Relative Dating
Method of determining the age of a rock or fossil by its position relative to other layers.
Absolute Dating
Technique used to determine the exact age of a rock or fossil using methods like radiometric dating.
Mass Extinction
Event where a large percentage of species become extinct in a relatively short period.
