BIO II Q2 REVIEWER

ORIGIN OF LIFE Theories and Hypothesis on how life

started here on Earth
1920s
Divine Creation
➢ A. I. Oparin of Russia
➢ John B.S. Haldane of England ➢ Life forms may have been placed on
➢ Proposed a hypothesis on the probable Earth by supernatural or divine forces.
origin of life ➢ The hypothesis that a divine God
➢ Atmosphere of early Earth must have created life is at the core of most major
contained methane (CH4), ammonia religions.
(NH4), Hydrogen (H2) and water vapor
Extraterrestrial Origin
➢ Chemical reactions in said mixture of
gases must have produced organic ➢ This hypothesis also referred as
molecules and this could have given panspermia, proposes that meteors or
rise of the first living cells. cosmic dusts may have carried
significant amounts of complex organic
30 years later
molecules to earth, kicking off the
➢ Harold C. Urey evolution of life.
➢ Proposed a model of the atmosphere of ➢ It is hypothesized that an early source
early Earth similar to Oparin and of carbonaceous material is
Haldane hypothesis on the probable extraterrestrial, although not yet proven
origin of life
Spontaneous Origin
➢ In 1952, he suggested an experiment to
explore the origin of life under the ➢ Most scientist accept the hypothesis of
conditions of his model of Earth's spontaneous generation.
primodial atmosphere. ➢ that life evolved from inanimate matter
as associations among molecules
1953
become more and more complex.
➢ Stanley Lloyd Miller ➢ As changes in molecules increased
➢ American Chemist their stability Initiate more and more
➢ Miller-Urey Experiment Theory of complex associations, culminating in
Chemical Evolution the evolution of cells.
➢ Source of Energy for the formation of ➢ Many ideas have been developed
the first organic molecules must have based on Spontaneous Origin:
been gigantic fishes of lightning that
must have constantly agitated the • At the ocean's edge
atmosphere of early Earth. - life may arise from the constantly
➢ Source of Energy must have been the forming bubbles at the edge of the
abundant supply of ultraviolet radiation ocean as suggested by some
that could have reached Earth without scientist
an ozone shield to stop it. • Deep in the earth's crust
- Life may have formed as by-
product of volcanic activity where
sulfuric minerals, iron and nickel
recombine.
- Gunter Wachtershauser in 1988
and fellow scientist shows that
these chemical combinations can
form precursors of amino acids
which can be later linked to
peptides.
BIO II Q2 REVIEWER

• Under frozen oceans ➢ What was the Earth like millions

- Just like Jupiter's moon, Europa. It years ago?
is hypothesized that life originated
under a frozen ocean. a. Earth is covered with thick blanket of
• Within clay ice
- The silicate surface chemistry was b. Lots of volcanoes and high mountains
hypothesized by some researchers, c. Large organisms roamed the land
emphasizing the positive charges d. The atmosphere did not have high
of clay surface that may attract oxygen content
organic molecules and providing e. Asteroids/meteors frequently hit the
potential catalytic surface where life surface
chemistry may have occurred. f. The lands moved a lot or the
• At deep sea vent continents were a little closer to each
- Another hypothesis that life other
originated at deep sea vents where g. Volcanic eruptions
the necessary prebiotic molecules h. A little bit warmer
are synthesized by metal sulfides in i. Plants were bigger
the vents. The positive charge of j. Humans were not yet around
sulfides may have attracted the
negative charge of biological
Geologic Time Scale
molecules.
➢The Geologic Time Scale-is a tabular
AGE OF EARTH
presentation of the history of life based
➢ What is the age of the Earth? on geologists' study of rocks and the
• Over Earth's vast history, both gradual fossils they contain.
and catastrophic processes have ➢All the pieces of information about Earth
produced enormous changes are arranged chronologically from the
• The Earth is approximately 4.6 billions oldest (at the bottom of the table) to the
years old. most recent (at the top of the table).
• Life on Earth arose around 3.5 billion
years ago. ➢Unlocking of Terms:
➢ When did man first appear on Earth? EON - largest division of the geologic time
• Man could have first appeared about scale, spans hundreds to thousands of
100-150 thousand years ago as million of years ago (mya)
shown by artefactual evidences in
various site. ERA - division in an Era that span time
➢ What is the age of the Earth? periods of tens to hundreds of millions of
• Understanding the GTS reminds us of years
our time and place in the universe. PERIOD - a division of geologic history that
• Life on Earth arose around 3.5 billion spans no more than one hundred million
years ago. years
EPOCH - the smallest division of the
geologic time scale characterized by
distinctive organisms
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The Geologic Time Record

➢ The Geologic Time Record is a tabular

representation of the major divisions of
the Earth's history.
➢ The time intervals are divided and
described from the longest to the
shortest as EONS, ERAS, PERIODS
and EPOCHS.
➢ Each period has an approximated time
frame and characterized by distinctive
features (events and organisms).

➢ The Geologic time is divided into

- Four large segments called Eons:
Hodeon, Archean, Proterozoic and
Phonerozoic
- The Phanerozoic is divided into Eras:
Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.
- Extinction events and the appearance CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION
of new life forms characterized the “BIG BANG Theory”
divisions among Eros.
- Smaller divisions, called Periods-
➢The belief that there was a sudden,
characterized by a single type of rock
apparent explosion of diversity in life
system, make up each Era.
forms about 545 million years ago.
- Some Periods are further divided into
➢The explosion created the complexity of
smaller time frame called Epochs.
multi-celled organisms in a relatively
short time frame of 5 to 10 million years.
➢This explosion also created most of the
major extant animal groups today.
➢The start of the Cambrian was
characterized by the breaking of
supercontinent Gondawa into smaller
land masses opening new environmental
niches where organisms can colonize
and specialize.