The origin of life on Earth remains a puzzle.

February 22, 2016

List the 3 domains of life
and their distinguishing
characteristics. Also list
their kingdoms and their
characteristics.

Tree of Life

Earth was very different billions of years ago.

There have been many hypotheses of Earths origins.
The most widely accepted hypothesis of Earths origins is the nebula
hypothesis.

Nebula Hypothesis
Suggests 4.6 billion years ago, the
sun formed from a nebula cloud
(gas and dust in space)
Over time most of the material in
the nebula pulled together due to
gravity
After millions of years and
repeated collisions, this debris
built up the planets of our solar
system.

Nebular Theory Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL3YNQK960Y

RECALL
With your shoulder partner, discuss of all the
things necessary for life to form on planet Earth
and list below.

RECALL
With your shoulder partner, discuss of all the
things necessary for life to form on planet Earth
and list below.
Groups of organized atoms (N, O, C, H, P, etc)

Biomolecules (proteins, carbohydrates, water)

Cells that can
Reproduce
Grow and develop
Respond to stimuli
Obtain and use energy

Chemical Evolution (1 billion years)

Formation
of the
earths
early crust
and
atmosphere

Small
organic
molecules
form in the
seas

Large
organic
molecules
form in the
seas

First
protocells
form in the
seas

Biological Evolution (3.7 billion years)

Single-cell
prokaryote
form in the
sea

Single-cell
eukaryotes
form in the
sea

Variety of
multicellular
organisms
develop in
the sea and
move to land

Hypotheses that propose how life began on Earth.

Miller-Urey experiment
Created a model of the
chemicals present in the
primordial soup
Added a spark to simulate
lightning
Allowed the atmosphere to
cool and particles settle back
into the water
Examined the water to find
organic molecules

electrodes

atmosphere

water
ocean

heat source

They found 5 different amino acids, urea and lactic acid

amino acids

Conditions of Early Earth

Hypotheses of early cell structure

1. iron-sulfide bubbles hypothesis

Biological molecules combined in compartments of hydrothermal vents on the
ocean floor

2. lipid membrane hypothesis

Lipid spheres could form around organic molecules forming the
first true cells

3. meteorite hypothesis
Amino acids arrived here on Earth through meteorites

In 1969 a meteorite crashed into Murchison, Australia. The meteorite

contained over 90 amino acids, only 19 have been found naturally on Earth

 A hypothesis proposes that RNA was the first genetic material.

Ribozymes are RNA molecules
that catalyze their own
replication.
DNA needs enzymes to
replicate itself.

Single-celled organisms existed 3.8 billion years ago.

Evolution of Life in a Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2_6cqa2cP4

One of the accepted scientific theories describing the

origin of life on Earth is known as chemical evolution.
According to this theory, which of the following
events would need to occur first for life to evolve?
A. onset of photosynthesis
B. origin of genetic material
C. synthesis of organic molecules
D. formation of the plasma membrane
E. formation of organs

The Earliest Life on Earth?

The oldest known fossils are a group of marine cyanobacteria

Date back to 3.4 billion years ago.
prokaryotic cells
added oxygen to
atmosphere
deposited minerals

 Fossil stromatolites provide evidence of early colonies of life.

Rock formations formed from the growth of layers of cyanobacteria

Eukaryotic cells may have evolved through endosymbiosis.

Endosymbiosis is a relationship in which one organism lives within the body
of another.
Mitochondria and chloroplasts may have developed through endosymbiosis.

Evidence of symbiosis
Chloroplasts and Mitochondria
Double membranes
Single loop of DNA
Reproduce by binary fission
About the same size as prokaryotes

Examine the illustrations of the chloroplast and mitochondria.

List an evidence from the structure of these two organelles
that they may have evolved from a common ancestor.

Evolution of organelles
http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/organelles.h
tml

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgQLyqWaCbA