OCEA 2000X Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Abiogenesis, Rna-Dependent Rna Polymerase, Martian Meteorite
25 Sep 2018
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Document Summary
What is life: life is a cell or group of cells that contain genetic material, can reproduce (self-replicate, can turn food into energy, can evolve through natural selection. Changing out planet: atmospheric composition (less reflective, albedo (rising temperatures, biogeochemical feedbacks, vegetation absorbs solar radiation, warming the planet, forests store carbon, which reduces the greenhouse effect. Biogenesis: all living things come from living things, darwin recognized this paradox. Abiogenesis: the spontaneous creation of life out of non-living things. Intense volcanos: electrical storms, atmosphere rich in methane, ammonia and carbon dioxide. In the early 1980s, two groups found that rnas can also act as a catalyst. Ships: the fram (friedhoff nansen), challenger, beagle, endeavor. Rna production on a lifeless planet: the formation of long strands of rna may have been catalyzed by clays such as montmorillonite, the same process may occur during the freezing of salt water.
