Biological Chemistry: Evolution of Life

Life is a process that can sustain itself, replicate, and change through mutations.

A basic unit of life with a defined boundary that contains all the necessary components for its own functions.

The ability of life to change over time, leading to the emergence of new species.

The ability of living systems to maintain a stable internal environment.

The sum of all chemical reactions occurring within a living organism.

The process of increasing in size and complexity.

The ability to respond to changes in the environment.

The ability to produce offspring, ensuring the continuation of the species.

The theory that life on Earth originated from life forms that arrived from outer space.

The theory that life on Earth arose from non-living matter, such as soil or broth.

Francesco Redi's experiment disproved spontaneous generation by showing that maggots only appeared in meat that was exposed to flies.

The early idea that life can arise spontaneously from non-living matter, even in controlled environments.

Bacteria's ability to survive harsh conditions in space, providing support for Panspermia.

Evidence suggesting that life could have originated from outer space, based on the presence of organic molecules and even microbial life in meteorites.

Mars being a potential source of life, suggesting that Panspermia could have occurred between Mars and Earth.

The theory that life originated from a single, common ancestor.

A hypothetical early Earth environment where simple organic molecules formed from inorganic matter, providing the building blocks for life.

A theory proposing that life arose from non-living matter in a watery environment, through the combination of chemicals and energy sources.

The process by which simple sugars are formed from formaldehyde in the presence of a catalyst.

A chemical reaction that creates amino acids from aldehydes, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide.

The fundamental molecules that combine to form proteins, which are essential for life.

A famous experiment conducted by Stanley Miller and Harold Urey in 1950 that simulated the conditions of early Earth and produced amino acids, supporting the primordial soup theory.

Organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms, unlike autotrophs which create their own food.

Organisms that produce their own food using energy from sunlight, like plants.

The study of the complex structures and functions of living things, particularly focusing on interconnected networks and their essential patterns.

It's not only about simplified models, but also about discovering and modeling crucial relational patterns in life, which makes it distinct from other approaches.

Conditions like temperature, water, and atmosphere must be suitable for life to exist. Earth has the just-right combination for life to thrive.

A region around a star where conditions might allow for liquid water on the surface of planets, potentially making them habitable.

A star that is cooler and smaller than our Sun, found in the Lyra constellation. Two of its planets, Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f, are within the star's habitable zone.

The belief that life originated from a supernatural force, often a divine creator. It's a common belief in many religions.

The issue with the special creation view is that it's not scientifically provable and relies on mystical explanations.

The belief that life arose naturally through a specific series of physical and chemical processes.

The idea that DNA and proteins evolved together, with DNA specifying protein sequences and proteins assisting in DNA replication.

A type of RNA that can act as an enzyme, suggesting that RNA may have played a more central role in early life than initially thought.

The process by which a cell's membrane forms, allowing for the separation and organization of life's components.

Hypothetical early life forms proposed by Oparin, formed by the spontaneous separation of polymers in a solution.

A process where a solution of polymers separates into phases with different polymer concentrations, possibly a step in the formation of protobionts.

Small, spherical structures formed by proteins under specific conditions, also proposed as possible early life forms.

The evolution of biochemical pathways due to competition for limited resources, leading to more efficient utilization of nutrients.

The process by which life on Earth utilized sunlight as an inexhaustible energy source, initially using hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as a reducing agent, then switching to water (H2O) due to H2S depletion. This transition resulted in the production of oxygen (O2) as a byproduct.

The evolution of metabolic pathways that exploited the newly abundant oxygen (O2) produced by photosynthesis. This provided a more efficient form of energy metabolism, leading to the rise of aerobic organisms.

The formation of the ozone layer in the Earth's atmosphere, a crucial protection against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, which became possible due to increasing levels of oxygen (O2) produced by photosynthesis.

The early Earth lacked an ozone layer due to limited oxygen (O2) in the atmosphere, making it vulnerable to harmful UV radiation. This had a significant impact on early life forms.

The shift from using hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to water (H2O) as a reducing agent in photosynthesis, which resulted in the production of oxygen (O2) as a byproduct and paved the way for the oxygenation of the atmosphere.