Tracing Evolutionary History Flashcards
when was Earth formed
4.6 billion years ago
characteristics of Earth
- thick atmosphere
- high UV radiation
- high volcanic activity and atmospheric electricity
define a stromatolite
layered sedimentary formations that are created by photosynthetic cyanobacteria
stromatolites formed by ______ date back to ______ ______ years ago.
- prokaryotes
- 3.5 billion
what is necessary for cellular life?
- synthesis of amino acids and nitrogen bases
- joining of polymers to make proteins/nucleic acids
- packing molecules into protocells
- origin of self-replicating molecules that made inheritance possible
What was the Oparin-Haldane hypothesis?
conditions on early Earth could have generated organic molecules
describe the abiotic synthesis of organic molecules
h2o -> water vapor -> atmosphere (charged by lightning) -> condensed -> presence of essential amino acids in sample
What other hypothesis have been generated for the origin of organic molecules on Earth?
space and under the sea
Formation of the first cells likely occurred through ______ ______ of _____ and ____ _____ ____.
- abiotic synthesis
- protocells
- self replicating RNA
formation of first cells also could’ve happened by ______ _______ that acted on protocells containing ________ _____.
- natural selection
- self-replicating molecules
the abiotic synthesis of protocells and replicating RNA contains what steps?
- abiotic synthesis of polymers
- formation of protocells
- self-replicating RNA
describe abiotic synthesis of polymers
nucleotides form nitrogenous bases
describe formation of protocells
- lipids condense in water
- naturally form vesicles
- absorb nucleotides and molecules
describe development of self-replicating RNA
through RNA polymerase or similar ribosomes
define macroevolution
evolutionary change at the species level
