Hypotheses for the Origin of Life by Anna Thompson-Strider https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc en-us 2021-02-02 01:25:04 UTC 2025-11-12 07:03:00 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-uploads.storage.googleapis.com/635159182/0d409563fa5ed219b6a39bebc7da4781/plant_growth_giphy.gif Hypotheses for the Origin of Life annathompsonstrider https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151519391 There are many hypotheses on the origin of life - each of you gets to to become an expert on one of them!
Use the three vertical dots on the virtual sticky note assigned to you - this will give you lot's of choices. The Edit link will allow you to add text and even upload a picture!]]> 2021-02-02 01:29:25 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151519391 Jakob Carver annathompsonstrider https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151523713 A LMU research study shows that life may have formed in mircopores on the surface of earth. these small pores acted as a crucible that trapped molecules inside allowing them to collect together and form more complex structures, like RNA and nulceotides. Volcanic activity may have acted as a catalyst to heat these pores at the correct conditions for organic molecules to create DNA. Recreated conditions in a lab used capillary tube to mimic micropores, when exposed to heat they formed fragments of linear DNA.]]> 2021-02-02 01:31:48 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151523713 Morgan Collins annathompsonstrider https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151524311 This study believes that life actually began in space. First living in comets, and then moving to habitable planets. They have found complex organic, and hydrocarbon molecule on missions that are some of the building blocks of life. Comets are ideal incubators of life due to their ability to keep water in liquid form inside the comet. According to the article, the odds of life starting in space versus starting on earth is one trillion trillion to one. 
This is a very good theory because it has all the necessary needs to make life, clay, organic materials, and water. All of this make it very likely that life started on comets in space. ]]> 2021-02-02 01:32:08 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151524311 Denise Gibson annathompsonstrider https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151524917 My article was about Stanley Miller's forgotten experiments. Stanley Miller left behind boxes of experimental samples he did in 1958 but he never analyzed. Several scientists took some of these samples and analyzed the chemicals he used and then reproduced the experiment. One of the experiments played around with different chemical gases that may have been on the earth to attempt to connect the RNA world . ]]> 2021-02-02 01:32:25 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151524917 Tresa Herrod annathompsonstrider https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151525449 2021-02-02 01:32:40 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151525449 Chloe Lambert annathompsonstrider https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151526441 My Article was a prebiotic evolution that took place and involved tiny pores in the volcanic rocks. A team of researchers looked into the water- air interfaces within the pores of the rocks and discovered the pores create gas filled bubbles that took part in the process of physicochemical reaction in the orgin of life. They found that the gas filled bubbles created the formation of the first cells to exist. The scientist discovered that the small molecules could be concentrated ot high levels and the the physical and chemical process also played a role in the orgin of life. This article was also stating that that the differences between the temperatures could cause the water to only evaporate in one location. ]]> 2021-02-02 01:33:09 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151526441 Kobree Penney annathompsonstrider https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151527620 A UCL- led research team has found evidence that the origin of life could have been in deep sea hydrothermal vents rather than shallow pools. A new study has shown that heat and alkalinity are necessary for life to be started. There are vents deep under the sea that comes in contact with minerals that creates a warm alkaline place that contains hydrogen. This process creates rich mineral chimneys with alkaline and acidic fluids that provides energy and makes a chemical reaction  between hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The hydrogen and carbon dioxide then forms complex organic compounds. 

Scientists have made great progress in recreating the early chemical processes in which basic cell formations would have developed. The creation of protocells has been an important step in this process. They have been able to make these protocells in cool, fresh water, but only under very tight controlled conditions. The protocells tend to fall apart in hydrothermal vent environments. A research team has tried recreating protocells with different fatty acids and fatty alcohols. They found that molecules with longer carbon chains needed heat in order to form themselves into a vesicle. For the first time researchers succeeded at creating self assembling protocells in an environment that is similar to hydrothermal vents.]]> 2021-02-02 01:33:46 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151527620 Lisa Smith annathompsonstrider https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151528221 2021-02-02 01:34:01 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151528221 Santo Spinella annathompsonstrider https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151528967 Liquid crystals are common in modern day device screens, but they may have played a far more ancient role. RNA molecules can form liquid crystals that encourage growth into long chains. Scientists have long speculated that RNA carried a dual role carrying information and conducting metabolism long before the dawn of DNA. Researchers have discovered RNA strands known as ribozymes. How did these sequences assemble in a world without existing ribozymes or proteins? 

Researchers discovered different scenarios in which short RNA could assemble. At high concentrations short RNA sequences spontaneously ordered into liquid crystal phases. Researchers would add magnesium ions which stabilized the crystals or polyethylene glycol that would sequester the RNA. Once RNA were held together in liquid crystals a chemical activator could join the ends into longer strands. This arrangement helped avoid the circular formation of RNA that could not be lengthened further. Polyethylene glycol and the chemical activator would not be found under primordial conditions, but other molecular species could have played similar role.

]]> 2021-02-02 01:34:27 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151528967 Leasa Tolen annathompsonstrider https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151529595 This study shows that RNA is capable of catalyzing electron transfer under conditions like early earth. Moving from one chemical species to another. These biological processes can consist of photosynthesis and respiration to the reduction of RNA to DNA. These transformations may have been possible when life began.

More than 3 billon years ago the environment lacked oxygen but had an abundance of Iron and RNA play a role in this before DNA and coded protein appeared. When RNA teams up with Iron in an oxygen free environment it can catalyze single electron transfers. This was a process previously uncharacterized for RNA. 

When oxygen began to enter the earth atmosphere it tuned iron to rust forming massive, banded iron formations that currently being mined today. The free oxygen produced by advanced organisms caused iron to be toxic even though and still is a requirement for life. Williams believes that the environmental transition caused a shift from the use of iron to magnesium for RNA binding, folding, and catalyst.

Researchers found that Iron in the absence of oxygen could substitute for magnesium in IN RNA’s binding and folding catalyst. RNA’s shape and folding remained remained the same when replaced with magnesium in oxygen free environment.  

 
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130519145653.htm

]]> 2021-02-02 01:34:46 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1151529595 Olivia Long https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1184617897 A theory has been put forward that life could have originated in the hot water vents based on seabeds. Scientists found that the surface of crystals in these vents are similar to enzymes that are the building blocks for life, and have done experiments to mirror this event, showing that it could have happened. This finding gives insight to the origin of organic life and gives real world application to making carbon based chemicals out of CO2.]]> 2021-02-09 20:47:18 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1184617897 Talia Hydrick https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1204338398 This article claims, according to its research and experiments, that large amounts of clay hydrogels was used as a birthplace for biochemical reactions which eventually led to the formation of things in a present day cell. 
They found that clay forms hydrogels in early earth sea water by simulating the process. These hydrogels provided space and protection for soaked-up chemicals. The chemicals started reacting with each other, creating proteins and eventually the things needed to form a cell. 
Clay was most likely the factor in the formation of cells because of four things: there were enormous amounts of clay in the ocean which helped produce large amounts of proteins; clay attracts biomolecules to its surface which helped in the synthesis of other molecules to form more complex structures; geological history shows that clay appeared around the time when molecules started forming into protocells; and cytoplasm acts like a hydrogel. 


]]> 2021-02-15 17:19:04 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1204338398 Lisa Smith https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1204745610 2021-02-15 20:00:36 UTC https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1204745610 Chloe Lambert https://padlet.com/annathompsonstrider/4acla8tloaoagnzc/wish/1683427711
my article was about tiny gas filled bubblies that were found in the porous rock located around hot springs. They were found to be an important role in the origin of life.
The study shows that notion that the tiny gas-filled bubbles appeared to be stuck inside and reacted with, the surfaces of pores in volcanic rocks could indeed have accelerated the formation of the chemical networks that ultimately gave rise to the first cells.

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