The theory that life can arise from non-living matter.
Abiogenesis
Small molecules that can join together to form polymers.
Monomers
Large molecules made up of repeating subunits called monomers.
Polymers
Primitive cells that exhibit some characteristics of living cells.
Protocells
A molecule that can both store genetic information and catalyze chemical reactions.
RNA
A molecule that stores genetic information and serves as a template for protein synthesis.
DNA
The hypothesis that life on Earth originated from non-living matter.
Abiogenesis Theory
The idea that the early Earth’s oceans contained a rich mixture of organic molecules necessary for the origin of life.
Prebiotic Soup
The hypothesis that life originated around hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, where iron and sulfur compounds provided the necessary energy for chemical reactions.
Iron-Sulfur World
The theory that eukaryotic cells evolved from prokaryotic cells through a process of symbiosis, where one cell engulfed another and they formed a mutually beneficial relationship.
Endosymbiotic Theory
Cells that have a membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.
Eukaryotes
Cells that do not have a membrane-bound nucleus or other membrane-bound organelles.
Prokaryotes
The organelles where proteins are synthesized.
Ribosomes
The organelles where cellular respiration takes place, producing ATP.
Mitochondria
The organelles where photosynthesis takes place, using sunlight to produce glucose.
Chloroplasts
The selectively permeable membrane that surrounds the cell and controls the movement of substances in and out of the cell.
Plasma Membrane
The organelle involved in the synthesis and transport of proteins and lipids.
Endoplasmic Reticulum
The organelle that modifies, sorts, and packages proteins for transport.
Golgi Apparatus
The organelles that contain digestive enzymes and break down waste materials.
Lysosome
A storage compartment within the cell that can hold water, food, or other substances.
Vacuole
A small membrane-bound sac that transports materials within the cell.
Vesicle
A rigid outer layer that provides support and protection to the cell.
Cell Wall
The jelly-like substance that fills the cell and surrounds the organelles.
Cytoplasm
The double layer of phospholipids that makes up the plasma membrane.
Phospholipid Bilayer
