The Origin of Life Notes: Chapter 14
The Beginning: Earth is about 4.6 billion years old Life began on Earth about 3.5 billion years ago in the ocean
Evidence of Life: Fossils: remains of organisms, found in sedimentary rock Relative Dating: lower rocks are older than higher ones Radiometric Dating: using radioactive isotopes in rocks because rate of decay is related to half-life
Fossils
Relative Dating:
Relative Dating:
Radiometric Dating:
How does life arise? Spontaneous generation: life from nonliving things Francesco Redi: disproved theory by showing that flies must come from other flies
How does life Arise? Spontaneous generation: Louis Pasteur: concluded that microorganisms must come from other microorganisms using S-shaped flasks that let in only air = no organisms
Biogenesis: life only from other living things Miller & Urey: showed that organic molecules could have formed the beginning of life
The origin of cells: Anaerobic prokaryotes: lived in an atmosphere with no oxygen
The origin of cells: Aerobic organisms: evolved once photosynthesis released oxygen
The origin of cells: Prokaryotes: cells without a nucleus or organelles Eukaryotes: cells with a nucleus and organelles cells grew in complexity once conditions for life improved