Origins of Protocells Reading

What is the term for the spontaneous emergence of complex organic molecules from inorganic substances?

• Abiogenesis

• Photosynthesis

• Polymerization

• Catalysis

What are macromolecules?

• Molecules found only in living organisms

• Molecules that cannot form polymers

• Simple molecules that dissolve in water

• Large molecules made of smaller building blocks

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS1-6

What are liposomes?

• Single strands of RNA

• Enzymes that catalyze reactions

• Spheres surrounded by a lipid bilayer

• Clusters of amino acids

What is the primary role of enzymes in early life formation?

• Breaking down RNA molecules

• Forming lipid bilayers

• Facilitating chemical reactions

• Creating meteorites

What did David Deamer discover in his 1977 experiment?

• Liposomes cannot form in water

• Phospholipids can form spontaneously under primeval conditions

• RNA molecules cannot evolve

• Amino acids cannot be trapped in membranes

What is the significance of the Murchison meteorite?

• It contained many types of chemicals required by life on Earth

• It contained only water and no organic molecules

• It was the first meteorite to land on Earth

• It proved that life originated in space

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-6

What are micelles?

• Spherical structures formed by fatty acids in water

• Proteins that store genetic information

• RNA molecules that catalyze reactions

• Phospholipids that form bilayers

What is the main difference between micelles and liposomes?

• Micelles are formed only in acidic conditions

• Liposomes are smaller than micelles

• Micelles are made of RNA, while liposomes are made of DNA

• Liposomes have a bilayer structure, while micelles do not

What is dehydration synthesis?

• A process of breaking down fatty acids

• The evaporation of water from a solution

• A reaction where nucleotides link up to form RNA

• The formation of amino acids from proteins

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS1-6

What role do Montmorillonite clays play in abiogenesis?

• They catalyze nucleic acid polymerization

• They prevent the formation of liposomes

• They dissolve fatty acids in water

• They create phospholipids from amino acids