what molecule was conspicuously absent from earth's early atmosphere? course hero bio

by Elwyn Koepp 4 min read

What happened to Earth when there was no protective atmosphere?

In addition, with no protective atmosphere, Earth was probably very hot and constantly bombarded with comets and asteroids. Around 4.2 billion years ago, Earth cooled enough for the surface to solidify and for water vapor to condense and fall as rain.

Why did the conditions of early Earth favor chemical reactions?

That the conditions of early Earth favored chemical reactions that were able to build small organic molecules from inorganic molecules in the atmosphere. What did their experiment produce? Amino acids and other small organic molecules could have formed spontaneously in Earth's early atmosphere.

How did large organic molecules arrive on Earth?

organic molecules arrived on the early Earth on meteorites and comets from space. How did large organic molecules form without the presence of enzymes? Scientists have observed that chemical bonds sometimes form between small organic compounds on hot surfaces.

What did they add to make it like Earth's early atmosphere?

Amino acids and other small organic molecules could have formed spontaneously in Earth's early atmosphere. What did they add to make it like Earth's early atmosphere? they added methane, ammonia, and hydrogen gases to the water vapor. Where did they think that the energy came from to cause this process to occur?

What was a molecule that was not found in Earth's early atmosphere?

Earth's original atmosphere was rich in methane, ammonia, water vapour, and the noble gas neon, but it lacked free oxygen.

What molecules were missing early Earth?

Large, complex molecules like DNA and protein were missing, but the Miller-Urey experiment showed that at least some of the building blocks for these molecules could form spontaneously from simple compounds.

What molecules were in Earth's early atmosphere?

(4.6 billion years ago) As Earth cooled, an atmosphere formed mainly from gases spewed from volcanoes. It included hydrogen sulfide, methane, and ten to 200 times as much carbon dioxide as today's atmosphere. After about half a billion years, Earth's surface cooled and solidified enough for water to collect on it.

Which constituent of air was absent in the atmosphere at the time of origin of life?

Answer : Gases that were present at the time of origin of life are ammonia, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapour. Oxygen was formed at a very later stage. Therefore, the gas which was absent at the time of origin of the earth is oxygen.

What was missing in the early history of life on Earth that can explain why organic molecules were able to accumulate?

What explains how organic molecules were able to accumulate in the early history of Earth? There were no living organisms to metabolize them. There was little free oxygen gas to oxidize them.

Which of the following was not present on Earth before the origin of living beings?

So, the correct answer is 'Oxygen'.

Why was there no ozone in the early atmosphere?

Earth's first atmosphere came from outgassing from the planet's interior and from asteroids and comets from elsewhere in the solar system. Earth's first and second atmosphere did not contain oxygen so there was no ozone layer to protect life from ultraviolet radiation and no oxygen for animals to breathe.

Why was there no oxygen in Earth's early atmosphere?

For decades, scientists believed that the atmosphere of early Earth was highly reduced, meaning that oxygen was greatly limited. Such oxygen-poor conditions would have resulted in an atmosphere filled with noxious methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia.

Where did nitrogen come from in the early atmosphere?

Volcanic activity also released water vapour , which condensed as the Earth cooled to form the oceans. Nitrogen was probably also released by volcanoes which gradually built up in the atmosphere because it is unreactive.

Which of the following gases absent in free form when life originated from Earth?

oxygen gasThe primitive atmosphere of Earth was devoid of oxygen gas. In primitive atmosphere, hydrogen atoms were most numerous and most reactive. They combined with all available oxygen atoms and formed water, which is very important for life.

Which one of the gases is absent at the time of evolution?

oxygenHence, oxygen was absent during the formation of earth.

Which of the following molecules was not likely present in the environment of the earth when life began?

Answer and Explanation: The answer here is (e) an oxygen-rich atmosphere. Oxygen was missing from the atmosphere of early-Earth because the atmosphere was a reducing one,... See full answer below.

What are the characteristics of a microsphere?

Microspheres are not cells, but they do share the following characteristics: 1. These bundles of molecules are able to maintain an internal environment different from the surroundings outside the bubble. 2.

What are the four processes that are needed to create life on Earth?

the presence of small organic molecules (through spontaneous synthesis or from meteorites) 2. assembly of these molecules into larger organic molecules/polymers (such as RNA and protein) 3.

What are chemical bonds formed between?

Scientists have observed that chemical bonds sometimes form between small organic compounds on hot surfaces. Scientists speculate that ocean water containing small organic molecules, like those formed in the Miller-Urey experiment, splashed onto hot sand, clay, or rock. As the water evaporated on the hot surface, ...

How did oxygen cells produce food?

These cells used energy from sunlight to produce food , giving off oxygen gas in the process . As oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere, the ozone layer also began to form. Over time, the oxygen levels rose until they reached the levels present today.

Did volcanoes cover the early Earth?

Astronomical and geological evidence suggests that active volcanoes covered early Earth. In addition, with no protective atmosphere, Earth was probably very hot and constantly bombarded with comets and asteroids.

Evaluating Prior Knowledge

Lesson Summary

  1. The Earth formed more than 4 billion years ago along with the other planets in our solar system.
  2. The early Earth had no ozone layer and was probably very hot. The early Earth also had no free oxygen.
  3. Without an oxygen atmosphere very few things could live on the early Earth. Anaerobic bacte…
  1. The Earth formed more than 4 billion years ago along with the other planets in our solar system.
  2. The early Earth had no ozone layer and was probably very hot. The early Earth also had no free oxygen.
  3. Without an oxygen atmosphere very few things could live on the early Earth. Anaerobic bacteria were probably the first living things on Earth.
  4. The early Earth had no oceans and was frequently hit with meteorites and asteroids. There were also frequent volcanic eruptions. Volcanic eruptions released water vapor that eventually cooled to fo...

Review Questions

  1. Describe how the different layers of the Earth vary by density. When did the materials that make the Earth separate out by density?
  2. Explain two reasons why having an oxygen-rich atmosphere is important for life on Earth.
  3. Scientists believe that Earth's ozone layer is shrinking because of human activities and air pollution. What affect might this have on Earth's life forms?
  1. Describe how the different layers of the Earth vary by density. When did the materials that make the Earth separate out by density?
  2. Explain two reasons why having an oxygen-rich atmosphere is important for life on Earth.
  3. Scientists believe that Earth's ozone layer is shrinking because of human activities and air pollution. What affect might this have on Earth's life forms?
  4. Describe the role of cyanobacteria in changing Earth's early atmosphere.

Vocabulary

  • atmosphere
    1. The mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth and contains the air we breathe.
  • condensed
    1. Cooled and changed from water vapor to liquid water.
See more on coursehero.com

Points to Consider

  1. How did life on Earth develop from simple bacteria to more complex organisms?
  2. When did complex organisms like fish, reptiles, and mammals appear on Earth?
  3. When did the major features of the Earth that we know today first form?
See more on coursehero.com