How long ago was the Earth formed from a cloud of dust particles surrounding the sun?
200-300 million years ago
480 billion years ago
4500-5000 million years ago
How was the core of our Earth formed?
Heat generated by gravitational compression and radioactive decay melted the interior
The temperature from the sun was so hot that the rock formations on Earth simply melted inwards
Combustion of argon
What molten elements are the Earth's core made out of?
Nickel and Iron
Hydrogen and Oxygen
Magnesium and Nitrogen
The Earth's liquid mantle is made out of silicates of which two elements?
Silicon and Calcium
Magnesium and Iron
Carbon and Nitrogen
What is the Earth's crust made of?
Light silicate compounds
Only sedimentary rock
Molten lava
Which gases were present in the first atmosphere of Earth?
Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, methane, nitrogen and hydrogen sulphide.
Hydrogen, water vapour, methane, ammonia, nitrogen and hydrogen sulphide.
Hydrogen, carbon, water vapour, methane and nitrogen.
Which property did the early atmosphere have?
Photolysis properties
Oxidising properties
Reducing properties
What was missing from the Earth's early atmosphere?
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Water Vapour
Where were most of the early useful molecules thought to have been created?
In shallow oceans
In the depths of igneous rock
In the atmosphere
Who conducted the 'Primordial Soup' experiment in 1953?
Stanley Müller
Henry Maller
Stanley Miller
What was the aim of the 'primordial Soup' experiment?
To recreate the explosions that began the Earth
To recreate the conditions of Earth before life evolved
To observe how gases combusted
In the first Primordial Soup experiment, which organic compounds were in the solution?
Ribose, Adenine, Hydrochloric Acid and Urea.
Deoxyribose, Glucose, Carbolic Acid and Iron Phosphates.
Glycine, Alanine, Lactic Acid and Urea.
Which molecules have been created from recent recreations of the 'Primordial Soup' experiment?
Ribose, deoxyribose, purines, pyrimidines and nucleotides.
RNA, water, hexose, phosphoric acid and nucleotides.
DNA, water, purines, pyrimidines and hexose.
How do you create ATP from purines?
Combine ribose and phosphates to adenine under UV light
Combine deoxyribose and phosphates to adenine with an electrical charge sent through it.
Combine ribose and phosphates to ammonia under UV light.
What is the name given to large aggregations of molecules?
Cofactor Droplets
Coacervate Droplets
Cervical Droplets
How were the droplets made by Oparin (which resembled living cells) created in the lab?
Dissolving glycerol and polysaccharides in water
Dissolving gelatin and proteins in water
Dissolving gelatin protein and polysaccharides in water
How did the droplets made by Oparin resemble living cells?
They acquired a membrane-like lipid coating
They developed nuclei
They could fully synthesis proteins
How did Oparin's stable droplets grow?
Mitosis
Absorbing chemicals from less stable droplets
Endocytosis
The first living cells are thought to have arisen from which kind of droplets?
Coacervate droplets that contained polynucleotides
Coacervate droplets that contained polysaccharides
Coacervate droplets that contained protiens
Which of the following is a reason that some of the first living cells broke down?
Not enough carbon dioxide to photosynthesis
Not enough oxygen to respire
Short supply of adenosine triphosphate
What is the definition of glycolysis?
The breakdown of glucose to provide energy for the production of ATP
The breakdown of glucose to provide energy for the production of proteins
The anabolism of glucose to provide energy
The first organisms were:
Heterotropic and aerobic
Heterotrophic and anaerobic
Homotrophic and aerobic
The first cells had nucleic acids organised into coding systems for protein synthesis but they did not have...
DNA
Nuclear membranes
Ribosomes
How did oxygen first appear in the atmosphere?
Respiration of the first living cells
Natural combustion
Ultra-violet radiation acting on water vapour
Why was atmospheric oxygen damaging?
It created hydrogen peroxide that could attack RNA and DNA
Oxygen over-exposure caused severe abnormalities in cells
There was not enough of it
Which enzyme protects against the effects of hydrogen peroxide?
Peroxase
Hydrogenase
Catalase
Which process produced atmospheric oxygen?
Photolysis
Respiration
Radical Substitution
What happened to the remaining organic chemicals of the 'Primordial Soup'?
They were broken down into hydrogen peroxide and reduced sediments
They were broken down into carbon dioxide and oxidised sediments
They were broken down into carbon monoxide and reduced sediments
Which processes do eukaryotes and prokaryotes have in common?
Glycolysis and respiration
Photolysis and protein synthesis
Glycolysis and photosynthesis
What does the Symbiotic Theory suggest?
All organelles work with one another, supporting the function of each other
All organelles used to be individual prokaryotes
All organelles can perform glycolysis
Which of the following are proof of the Symbiotic Theory?
Cells can respire
Mitochondria resemble aerobic bacteria
DNA resembles RNA
How can we estimate the age of rocks?
Measure their depth below the surface
Use TEM microscopy
Measure how much energy they release when combusted
In newer methods of determining the age of rocks, which element can be used?
Francium
Uranium
Argon
How old is the oldest found invertebrate (with hard shells or exoskeletons)?
60 million years old
600 million years old
6000 million years old
How old are the first vertebrae fossils?
5 million years old
50 million years old
500 million years old
How old are the oldest microfossils that resemble bacteria?
1100 million years old
3100 million years old
5100 million years old