A2.1 Origin of Cell

What hypothesis could account for the origin of life?

• Primordial Soup hypothesis

• Spontaneous Generation theory

• Lamarck's Theory of Evolution

• None of the above

What challenges the spontaneous origin of cells?

• Current Cell Theory

• 2nd Law of Thermodynamics

• Quandary over the original source and utilization of information

• No challenge whatsoever

What are the four necessary requirements for the evolution of the first cells?

• Catalysis, Replication, Assembly, Compartmentalization

• Catalysis, Nutrition, Movement, Differentiation

• Mutation, Variation, Competition, Survival

• None of the above

What is the "RNA World" Hypothesis?

• It proposes that RNA acted as both the genetic material and the enzymes of the earliest cells

• It proposes that RNA was the first molecule to develop on Earth

• It proposes that RNA is the only molecule necessary for life

• It proposes that RNA spontaneously formed the first cell

What is LUCA?

• The first living organism on Earth

• The last universal common ancestor

• The first protocell

• None of the above

What was the environment of the pre-biotic Earth like?

• High oxygen levels, low UV radiation

• Low oxygen levels, high UV radiation

• High carbon dioxide levels, low methane levels

• Low carbon dioxide levels, high methane levels

Which experiment demonstrated the formation of organic compounds under pre-biotic Earth conditions?

• Miller-Urey experiment

• Oparin-Haldane experiment

• Hershey-Chase experiment

• Meselson-Stahl experiment

What role does RNA play in ribozymes?

• It provides the specific three-dimensional structure

• It contains functional groups that can participate in catalysis

• It can hydrogen-bond with other nucleic acid molecules

• All of the above

How do scientists establish the original genome of LUCA?

• By looking at fossil records

• By conducting experiments under pre-biotic Earth conditions

• By searching for genes present in both prokaryotic domains (bacteria and archaea)

• None of the above

How did the high UV levels on primordial Earth affect the origin of life?

• They acted as an obstacle to the origin of life

• They acted as a selection factor that drove the process forwards

• They had no effect on the origin of life

• None of the above