Chapter 11 Flashcards
(25 cards)
abiotic synthesis
The formation of organic molecules from inorganic materials in a non-biological environment
banded iron formations:
Unique rock formations consisting of alternating layers of iron oxides and silica, indicating the presence of free oxygen in ancient oceans.
chloroplast:
An organelle found in plant cells and algae that conducts photosynthesis
cyanobacteria:
Photosynthetic bacteria that produce oxygen, significant in the early Earth’s atmosphere.
deep-sea hydrothermal vents:
Cracks in the ocean floor that release heated, mineral-rich water, potentially providing environments for early life.
endosymbiosis
A symbiotic relationship in which one organism lives inside the other.
endosymbiotic theory:
The theory that mitochondria and chloroplasts evolved from prokaryotic cells that were engulfed by larger cells.
lipid bilayer
A double layer of lipid molecules that forms the basis of cell membranes
mitochondria
Organelles in eukaryotic cells that produce ATP (cellular energy) through cellular respiration
monomers:
Small molecules that can be joined together to form polymers.
organic molecules
Molecules that contain carbon, typically found in living organisms.
oxygen catastrophe/oxygen revolution:
The dramatic increase in atmospheric oxygen produced by cyanobacteria, which led to mass extinctions of anaerobic organisms and the evolution of aerobic life
photosynthesis:
The process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy.
polymerize, polymer, polymerization:
To join monomers together to form a polymer, a large molecule made of repeating subunits.
protocell:
A hypothetical precursor to living cells, characterized by a membrane-bound compartment and self-replication.
self-replicate:
To make copies of oneself.
stromatolite
Layered sedimentary structures formed by microbial mats, particularly cyanobacteria.
amino acids
The building blocks of proteins.
aerobe, aerobic:
An organism that requires oxygen for survival.
anaerobe, anaerobic:
An organism that does not require oxygen for survival.
DNA → RNA → amino acids → protein → traits:
The central dogma of molecular biology, describing the flow of genetic information. (more accurately: DNA->RNA->protein->traits)
heterotrophic:
An organism that obtains its food from other organisms.
iron:
A metal that played a key role in early Earth’s chemistry and banded iron formations.
lightning
A natural electrical discharge that may have provided energy for abiotic synthesis.
