BIOL 300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Cellular Respiration, Nucleoid, Phosphate
Document Summary
Oxidation reduction reactions were of the first energy releasing reactions. The multistep process favored the development of intermediate carriers and opened the way for primitive electron transport chains. Atp became the cooling agent that linked energy releasing reactions to those requiring energy. Atp was hydrolyzed into adp and inorganic phosphate, resulting in the release of energy. Due to the efficiency and versatility of atp, it became the primary substance connecting energy releasing and energy requiring reactions in early cells. Stromatolites are layered rocks when microorganisms bind sediment to form sheets. They know that microbial activity was present in the rocks since the present day ones harbor microbial life. These bacteria have sophisticated metabolism that says they have evolved from earlier life. Indirect evidence of life comes from analysis of carbon composition of ancient rocks. Organisms had the ability to fix carbon into various organic compounds like sugars and amino acids. They preferred c-12 over other isotopes such as c-13.
