Broad Patterns of Evolution: The History of Life on Earth

Flashcards summarizing key concepts in evolution and the history of life as discussed in the lecture.

Prokaryotic

Single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus, such as bacteria.

Eukaryotic

Organisms whose cells contain a nucleus and other organelles enclosed within membranes.

RNA World

Hypothesis suggesting that RNA was the first genetic material, capable of self-replication.

Oparin-Haldane Hypothesis

Proposes that the early Earth's conditions favored the synthesis of organic compounds through chemical reactions.

Miller-Urey Experiment

An experiment that simulated early Earth conditions to demonstrate the synthesis of organic compounds, such as amino acids.

Protocells

Simple membrane-bound droplets that may have formed from the organic compounds present in early Earth.

Relative Dating

Determining the age of fossils based on the order of rock layers in which they are found.

Radiometric Dating

Technique used to date materials by measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes.

Endosymbiont Theory

Theory that mitochondria and plastids originated from free-living prokaryotes that were engulfed by a larger host cell.

Adaptive Radiation

The rapid diversification of a species into a variety of forms to adapt to different environments.