BIOL 215 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Magic 2Ch, Bacteriochlorophyll, Magnetite
11 Mar 2013
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The final step in the evolution of cells must have been the formation of an outer membrane that encased the nucleic acids and proteins. Believe that precursor molecules which could form abiotically could have included fatty acids. Fatty acids (palmitic acid, oleic acid) are hydrocarbons. Understand the hydrophilic and hydrophobic components in a molecule (bimolecular layer) See example of micelles fuse to form vesicles. How might the association between nucleic acids and membranes lead to the formation of a stable entity that displays cellular behavior: osmotic stress, creation of an electrochemical gradient (energy) Trade off: see sun and shade plants example in textbook. Oparin (1924: dilute pond model (problem, organic matter adsorbs to clays, simplest metabolisms evolve to use the energy in the organic matter (fermentation) Other characteristics of the first organisms: anaerobic, hyperthermophilic (super high temperature environments) and halophilic (salt loving, prokaryotic (bacterium or archaea; lacking internal structures and nucleus)
