1.10.5 The Heterotroph Hypothesis: The First Genetic Material Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in 1.10.5 The Heterotroph Hypothesis: The First Genetic Material Deck (14)
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1
Q

what is necessary to form life

A
  • synthesis of carbon-containing molecules, polymerization, aggregation, and reproduction are necessary.
2
Q

polymer

A
  • a molecule made of subunits linked to one another. Polymerization is the process of linking these subunits
3
Q

central dogma of biology

A
  • states that DNA makes RNA, and RNA makes protein.
4
Q

RNA

A
  • may have been the first genetic material
  • a polymer made up of subunits called
    nucleotides.
  • In the 1970s, Eigen found that small portions
    of RNA can self-replicate. RNA’s ability to selfreplicate
    means that RNA can make a complementary strand of itself without enzymes. If zinc is added, long strands of
    RNA can be replicated.
  • can (1) reproduce itself, (2) bind to amino acids, and (3) make chains of amino acids that can act as catalysts.
5
Q

ribozyme

A
  • an RNA catalyst

- RNA catalysts found in cells. Ribozymes take part in RNA editing and RNA synthesis.

6
Q

protobionts with RNA

A
  • may have been able to reproduce.
  • RNA-containing protobionts may have been able to make proteins and additional RNA. It is possible that protobionts with RNA could also reproduce.
7
Q

catalyst

A
  • In 1981, researchers discovered that RNA could act as a catalyst. Catalysts are substances that speed up the rate of a reaction without being consumed.
8
Q

In Manfred Eigen’s experiments, what was the role of zinc?

A
  • Zinc acts as a catalyst in RNA replication.
9
Q

One reason RNA is thought to have been the first genetic material is because

A
  • RNA can act as a catalyst
10
Q

A ribozyme is

A
  • an RNA molecule that can catalyze chemical reactions.
11
Q

Which of the following molecules is not formed by the process of polymerization?

A
  • a nucleotide
12
Q

Which of the following does not support the hypothesis that RNA served as the first genetic material?

A
  • In experiments that re-create the atmosphere of primitive Earth, RNA acts as a template for DNA synthesis
13
Q

True or false?
DNA is an unlikely choice for the original unit of heredity because it is a large, stable molecule, unlikely to form spontaneously in the “thin primordial soup.”

A
  • true
14
Q

Which of the following may not have been required at the beginnings of life on earth?

A
  • DNA

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