19.3 Earth’s Early History (Unit 7) – Flashcards

Miller and Urey's ideas about the composition of the early atmosphere were incorrect. But new experiments, such as Miller in 1995, show that the early atmosphere did produce organic compounds (cytosine and urcail.)

In the Archean Eon, 200-300 million years after the Earth cooled down, cells similar to bacteria were common. The leap from nonlife to life is the greatest gap in scientist's hypotheses of life's early history.

bubbles that large organic molecules form. Are not cells, but have some characteristics of living systems like selectively permeable membranes and means of storing and releasing energy.

Hypotheses suggest that structures like proteinoid microspheres acquired the characteristics of living cells 3.8 billion years ago.

inorganic matter simple organic molecules RNA nucleotides RNA able to syntheize proteins, replicate itself, and be able to store information Helps in protein synthesis, DNA functions in information storage, and proteins help build structures and start chemical reactions

The first mirofossils evolved in the absence of oxygen because very little was in the atmosphere. Next, photosynthetic bacteria became common, which churned out oxygen, which formed rust and turned the oceans blue. Oxygen then began to accumulate in the atmosphere, created the first global "pollution" crisis, some organisms went extinct.

theory that proposes that eukaryotic cells formed from a symbiotic relationship among several different prokaryotic cells, Ancestral eukaryotes entered the cells and began to live in them

ancient prokaryotes that evolved internal cell membranes

mitchondria evolved from endosymbiotic prokaryotes that were able to use oxygen to generate ATP. Inside primitive eukaryotic cells, these prokaryotes evolved into mitochondria, which allowed cells to metabolize energy

Chloroplasts evolved from endosymbiotic prokaryotes that had the ability to photosynthesize. These photosynthetic prokaryotes evolved within the eukaryotic cells into chloroplasts.

Similarities of Mitochondria/Chloroplasts and bacteria: Similar DNA Similar ribosome size and structure both reproduce by binary fission

the development of sexual reproduction sped up evolutionary change because sexual reproduction increases genetic variation

After the evolution of sexual reproduction, early cellular organisms underwent a series of adaptive radiations, which resulted in great diversity