What is life?

Question 1

How did Thales of Miletus and Anaximander think water was related to life?

Answer 1

Thales of Miletus - water is the ultimate substance of life

Anaximaner - animals created from water evaporated by the sun

Question 2

Which philosopher brought about the idea of 4 elements?

Answer 2

Emepedocles

Democritus argued that life comes from atoms of the 4 elements

Question 3

What is vitalism?

Answer 3

The idea that at the core of every living being is a “life force” and that life arises around us all the time, created by Aristotle

Question 4

Who challenged vitalism in the 17th century and how did they do this?

Answer 4

Francesco Redi, found that if meat was covered, flies would not land on it and maggots would not appear. Therefore maggots were generated from flies

Question 5

In the 17th century, what were the two opposing views with regards to microbes?

Answer 5

Spallazani - When microbes are boiled off and then liquid is exposed to air they re-appear - property of air?
Pasteur - Long winding tubes after boiling => no microbes, therefore disproving spontaneous generation

Question 6

Describe Oparin’s “primordial soup” idea

Answer 6

Water enriched with organic molecules clumped together and self organisd into a chemical system that could reproduce itself

Question 7

What are the 4 factors affecting the emergence?

Answer 7

1. Concentration of interacting particles
2. Nature of those interactions
3. Energy flow through the system
4. Cycling of the energy flow