BIOL108 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Murchison Meteorite, Archaea, Radiometric Dating

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Biology (Biological Sciences)
• Course: BIOL108
• Professor: Lien Luong

Document Summary

Important events in the history of life the oxygen revolution wiped the majority of the organisms because oxygen attacks chemical bonds = can inhibit enzymes and damage cells. No need to know the exact # of the year that certain events happened but be aware of the general timeline. Many of the earliest derivative prokaryotes (archaea) still live. Experiments do show that those mimicking characteristics of underwater volcanoes (they contain minerals-catalyst) produce more amino acids. Believed that the organic molecules came from the meteorites that collided w/ earth. E. g. murchison meteorite contained 92 amino acids. Other meteorites contain carbs, lipids, and nitrogenous bases. The raw ingredients / steps for life: abiotic synthesis of organic molecules. Earth"s atmosphere of ~4 bya they were able to create amino acids: abiotic synthesis of macromolecules, formation of protocells capable of metabolism. Compartmentalization (separating itself from the environment) is essential.