30 Questions
When did Homo sapiens first venture beyond Africa?
Approximately 70,000 years ago
Who proposed that the combustion of a candle is similar to the respiration of animals?
Antoine Lavoisier
What was a common belief until the early 1800s?
Vitalism
What was the significance of the establishment of the oxygen-rich ozone layer?
It shielded the Earth's surface from harmful solar radiation
When did the first eukaryotes appear in the fossil record?
Approximately 1.5 billion years ago
What was Antoine Lavoisier's contribution to biochemistry?
Explanation of the similarity between candle combustion and animal respiration
What is the main concept of the Cell Theory?
Cells can only be produced by other cells
Which major scientific question remains unanswered according to the text?
What is the origin of the first cell?
What does the remarkable uniformity of organisms at the cellular level suggest?
All organisms share a common genetic code
Who demonstrated that enzymes are proteins in the 1920s-1930s?
James Sumner
What did Buchner's experiments with yeast extract demonstrate?
Yeast extract can catalyze the fermentation of glucose
Why is the discovery of enzymes as catalysts considered a major breakthrough in biochemistry?
It revealed the role of catalysts in biochemical reactions
Which element accounts for the high percentage (by weight) of oxygen in cells?
Water
Which of the following elements is much more abundant in living organisms than in the rest of the universe?
Carbon
Which elements, while very common in the Earth’s crust, are present only in trace amounts in cells?
Silicon, Aluminum, and Iron
Which elements are considered essential ions in living cells?
Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Chlorine, and Sodium
Which elements are considered trace elements in living cells?
Cobalt, Copper, Zinc, Manganese, and Molybdenum
Which statement reflects the paradox mentioned in the text?
Living organisms and cells are made from non-living elements.
What was the significance of Friedrich Wöhler's synthesis of urea in 1828?
It proved that organic molecules could be synthesized from inorganic molecules, disproving the belief in vitalism.
What was the impact of Eduard Buchner's demonstration of alcoholic fermentation in 1893?
It demonstrated that alcoholic fermentation could occur in cell-free yeast extracts, further disproving the belief in vitalism.
What was the purpose of the Miller-Urey experiment?
To recreate the atmosphere of primitive earth, with the energy sources and temperatures, and observe the spontaneous formation of organic molecules.
Which of the following events is NOT associated with the disproving of vitalism?
The Miller-Urey experiment.
What type of molecules were formed in the Miller-Urey experiment?
Amino acids and other biologically significant molecules.
What was the common belief before Eduard Buchner's demonstration of alcoholic fermentation in 1893?
Only living cells could catalyze complex biological reactions.
What was the major substance identified from animals and plants in the 1810s-1830s, composed of C, H, O, and N?
Proteins
When was the term 'biochemistry' first coined?
1870s
What is the main focus of biochemistry?
Understanding the processes that occur within living cells and whole organisms
Which of the following substances was not recognized in the 1850s-1890s?
Enzymes
What does biochemistry aim to understand about life phenomena?
The chemical terms that explain life phenomena
What is the relationship between biochemistry and molecular biology?
Biochemistry and molecular biology are closely related
Test your knowledge on the history of biochemistry, including the formation of the ozone layer, the appearance of organisms on Earth, and the timeline of Homo sapiens. Explore the significant events that shaped our understanding of life on Earth.
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