BM108 - Block A

Second law of thermodynamics

Entropy is a measure of disorder, disorder must always increase

Life getting started (steps)

Simple organic molecules → more complex molecules → organisation into cells → ability to replicate/reproduce → complex biological pathways

How long ago was the big bang

13.82 bya

How long ago was earth’s formation

4.6 bya

How long ago was Theia impact

4.5 BYA

Possible evidence for earliest life

Australian sealed zircon crystals containing C^12, enriched C^13

How old are stromatolite fossils

3.5 BYA

1920s Alexander Oparin

Primordial soup theory

1952 Miller-Urey

experiment mirroring early earth to support abiogenesis/primordial soup theory

Bartel and Szostak 1993

Suggested RNA is a swiss army molecule

Korolev crater

50 mile diameter crater of ice on mars

Europa, Callisto, Ganymede

Moons of Jupiter with water that could possibly host life

Panspermia

Life could be transferred in the universe (from one planet to another)

Drake equation

N= R* x fp x ne x fl x fi x fc x L

Fermi paradox

Where are all the aliens?

Wolbachia

Bacteria that formed relationship with primitive eukaryotes

Asgardian Archaea

Most likely host cell for wolbachia

Ediacara biota

fossil discovered in Australia, existed for around 50-100 million years until Cambrian explosion

Cambrian explosion

Boom in multicellular life resulting in photosynthesis tipping over the balance of the atmosphere

Alfred Russel Wallace

19th century naturalist, explored Malaysia in 1855. Discovered the Wallace line separating continental species Asian/Australian