Deck 19: The Origin of Life and the Evolution of Cells

Question 1

If oxygen were present in the Earth's primitive atmosphere, then according to one hypothesis

A) the processes leading to the origin of life would occur.
B) organic molecules could not form from inorganic molecules.
C) reduction reactions would have been possible.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Answer 1

organic molecules could not form from inorganic molecules.

Question 2

To form organic molecules from inorganic molecules it would have been necessary to have

A) protocells.
B) a source of energy.
C) an atmosphere with ozone.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Answer 2

a source of energy.

Question 3

Stanley Miller's experiment was concerned with the idea that

A) life originated in outer space.
B) life originated by biogenesis.
C) life originated by spontaneous generation, but biogenesis followed.
D) organic molecules could be formed from gases in the early atmosphere.

Answer 3

organic molecules could be formed from gases in the early atmosphere.

Question 4

What evidence supports the idea that life could have arrived on Earth from extraterrestrial sources?

A) Many of the other planets have oxygen in their atmosphere.
B) Living things have been found on Mars.
C) Many meteorites have been found to contain organic molecules.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 5

If living material is produced from living material, the process is called

A) spontaneous generation.
B) proteins.
C) biogenesis.
D) oxidation.

Question 6

According to Oparin's theory, primitive Earth's atmosphere must have lacked

A) oxygen.
B) hydrogen.
C) water.
D) nitrogen.

Question 7

Which of the following gases was probably not present in the atmosphere of primitive Earth?

A) water
B) hydrogen
C) carbon dioxide
D) ozone

Question 8

Current evidence suggests that

A) the "Big Bang" occurred about 13 billion years ago.
B) atoms from the "Big Bang" collected into stars and planets.
C) the Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 9

Oparin's theory of the origin of life on Earth was supported, in part, by an experiment performed by

A) Oparin.
B) Pasteur.
C) Stanley Miller.
D) Spallanzani.

Question 10

All of the following characteristics are necessary for a structure to be classified as a primitive cell except

A) a boundary separating the cell from its watery surroundings.
B) DNA.
C) an ability to obtain energy from its surroundings.
D) macromolecules.

Question 11

If oxygen had been present at the beginning of organic evolution, one hypothesis suggests that

A) evolution would have been speeded up.
B) evolution would have been speeded up only for plants.
C) no change would be noted.
D) life would not have evolved.

Question 12

Biogenesis states that life begins with

A) oceans.
B) nonliving material.
C) other living material.
D) spontaneous generation.

Question 13

Stanley Miller's experiment

A) proved the origin of life.
B) demonstrated that complex organic molecules might have been formed on primitive Earth.
C) showed how energy created life.
D) disputed the Oparin hypothesis.

Question 14

If the first living things were autotrophs, they

A) would have used organic molecules as a source of energy.
B) would have engaged in photosynthesis.
C) would have engaged in chemosynthesis.
D) All of these answers are true.

Question 15

It is speculated that one of the first kinds of organic molecules formed on primitive Earth was

A) amino acid.
B) ammonia.
C) oxygen.
D) protein.

Question 16

Different scientists have speculated about how the first living thing appeared on Earth. All of the following are supported by evidence EXCEPT

A) origin on Earth of a photosynthetic autotroph.
B) origin on Earth of a chemosynthetic autotroph.
C) origin on Earth of an anaerobic heterotroph.
D) an organism arrived from an extraterrestrial source.

Question 17

To produce organic matter from inorganic matter, energy is needed. Miller's experiment provided two sources of energy. They were

A) ultraviolet light and heat.
B) heat and electric sparks.
C) electric sparks and ultraviolet light.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 18

Currently ____________ is/are thought to have been the genetic material of the earliest cells.

A) proteins
B) DNA
C) RNA
D) amino acids

Question 19

If the first primitive cells on Earth were heterotrophs, they must have

A) received organic molecules from autotrophs.
B) had DNA as their genetic material.
C) manufactured their own organic matter.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 20

According to Oparin's theory of the origin of life,

A) the atmosphere of primitive Earth was an oxidizing atmosphere.
B) organic molecules were formed in the atmosphere and collected in the oceans.
C) the first living things would have used sunlight for energy.
D) All of these answers are true.

Question 21

All of the following may have been in the atmosphere of primitive Earth EXCEPT

A) hydrogen.
B) ammonia.
C) water.
D) oxygen.

Question 22

All of the following support the idea that RNA may have been the first genetic material EXCEPT?

A) There are viruses that use RNA as genetic material.
B) RNA is a simpler molecule than DNA.
C) RNA does not mutate.
D) RNA has been shown to be able to make copies of itself.

Question 23

In order to be called a primitive cell, the entity would have to

A) control chemical reactions.
B) have genetic material.
C) use a source of energy from its surroundings.
D) All of these answers are true.

Question 24

If the first living thing was produced on Earth,

A) it was produced in the atmosphere.
B) it was an aerobic heterotroph.
C) spontaneous generation occurred.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 25

All of the following would have been energy sources on primitive Earth EXCEPT

A) ultraviolet light.
B) heat.
C) oxidation of organic molecules.
D) sunlight.

Question 26

Oxygen would interfere with organic molecules by

A) increasing the weight (mass) of the molecules.
B) combining with the organic molecules and destroying them.
C) stopping all chemical reactions.
D) increasing the thickness of the atmosphere.

Question 27

In earlier times those who believed that spontaneous generation occurred believed that

A) rotting meat produced maggots.
B) only living things could generate life.
C) life arrived from outer space.
D) organic molecules were produced spontaneously in an oxidizing atmosphere.

Question 28

In order for macromolecules to form, smaller molecules must be concentrated. All of the following have been proposed as ways for concentrating organic molecules EXCEPT?

A) Organic molecules could have collected on the surface of clay particles.
B) Organic molecules could have been concentrated when they were trapped in small basins and the water evaporated.
C) Organic molecules could have made copies of themselves and this resulted in concentrations of molecules.
D) Organic molecules could have been concentrated when water froze.

Question 29

No other planet in our solar system has oxygen in its atmosphere. The source of oxygen in our atmosphere is

A) heterotrophic metabolism.
B) volcanic eruptions.
C) photosynthesis.
D) lightning discharge.

Question 30

Which of the following plays an important role in screening out harmful ultraviolet rays?

A) atmospheric oxygen
B) water
C) methane
D) ozone

Question 31

The first primitive cells probably came into being

A) in the ocean.
B) in the early oxidizing atmosphere.
C) on land.
D) in volcanoes.

Question 32

The oldest fossils are about ________ billion years old.

A) 1.8
B) 3.5
C) 13
D) 0.5

Question 33

The oldest fossils of eukaryotic cells are about ________ years old.

A) 1.8 billion
B) 3.5 billion
C) 500 million
D) 100 million

Question 34

When oxygen became part of the atmosphere, it came from

A) carbon dioxide.
B) volcanoes.
C) the splitting of water by autotrophs.
D) organic molecules.

Question 35

The first multicellular organisms (algae) appeared about __________ billion years ago.

A) 1
B) 1.8
C) 3.5
D) 13

Question 36

Which of the following is the most likely series of events?

A) Earth formed-oxygen in atmosphere-living organisms-ozone
B) Ozone-living organisms-plants-organic molecules
C) Organic molecules-ozone-living organisms-oxygen in atmosphere
D) Organic molecules-living organisms-oxygen in atmosphere-ozone

Question 37

Oxygen was necessary in the atmosphere before

A) photosynthesis could occur.
B) life could begin.
C) metabolism could occur.
D) aerobic respiration could occur.

Question 38

When comparing primitive Earth to modern Earth, we note that

A) primitive Earth had more ozone.
B) modern Earth has more ultraviolet light.
C) modern Earth is cooler.
D) there is less oxygen on modern Earth.

Question 39

Mitochondria and chloroplasts probably formed as a result of

A) spontaneous generation.
B) endosymbiosis.
C) coacervates.
D) None of the above is correct.

Question 40

The endosymbiotic theory is concerned with the development of

A) prokaryotic cells.
B) eukaryotic cells.
C) coacervates.
D) prebionts.

Question 41

The first terrestrial organisms are found in the fossil record at about _______ million years ago.

A) 4
B) 40
C) 400
D) 4000

Question 42

Oparin and Haldane's hypothesis states that the

A) Earth's early atmosphere contained 0₂.
B) first organic macromolecules originated in Earth's early atmosphere.
C) first cells were autotrophs.
D) first cells originated in the oceans.

Question 43

The first photosynthetic organisms probably

A) lived in the ocean.
B) were prokaryotic.
C) were cyanobacteria.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 44

The theory of spontaneous generation was supported by

A) Redi.
B) Needham.
C) Spallanzani.
D) Pasteur.

Question 45

The idea that living things only originate from other living things is

A) the theory of spontaneous generation.
B) the endosymbiotic theory.
C) Oparin and Haldane's hypothesis.
D) the theory of biogenesis.

Question 46

The explanation of how eukaryotic cells came about is

A) the theory of spontaneous generation.
B) the endosymbiotic theory.
C) Oparin and Haldane's hypothesis.
D) the theory of biogenesis.

Question 47

Redi concluded from his experiment that

A) maggots arise from decaying meat.
B) air is a "vital element" necessary for spontaneous generation.
C) living things arise from other living things.
D) microorganisms are present in the air.

Question 48

Pasteur put the theory of spontaneous generation to rest by

A) employing a swan-neck flask.
B) being the first researcher to work under sterile conditions.
C) demonstrating the synthesis of organic molecules.
D) showing that maggots arise from eggs laid by flies.

Question 49

Spallanzani's experiment was criticized because

A) he did not thoroughly sterilize his equipment.
B) he did not have a control group.
C) he sealed half of his containers, thereby excluding air.
D) his sample size was small.

Question 50

Although they lived at different times, all of the following people performed experiments related to how life originated. The strongest support for biogenesis came from

A) Miller.
B) Fox.
C) Pasteur.
D) Needham.

Question 51

According to one hypothesis, the first eukaryotic cells originated by

A) spontaneous generation.
B) biogenesis.
C) endosymbiosis.
D) mitosis.

Question 52

_____ was probably not present in the Earth's early atmosphere.

A) H₂O
B) NH₃
C) O₂
D) CO₂

Question 53

The Earth's early atmosphere

A) was a reducing atmosphere.
B) contained large quantities of ozone.
C) was an oxidizing atmosphere.
D) was similar to today's atmosphere.

Question 54

Endosymbiosis is a current theory that explains the origin of

A) eukaryotic cells from prokaryotic cells.
B) some eukaryotic algae from other eukaryotic cells.
C) both eukaryotic cells from prokaryotic cells and the origin of some eukaryotic algae from other eukaryotic cells.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 55

Miller's apparatus synthesized

A) ammonia.
B) amino acids.
C) carbon dioxide.
D) DNA.

Question 56

Miller's apparatus was designed to

A) simulate the conditions of early Earth.
B) prove how complex organic molecules originated.
C) support the theory of biogenesis.
D) demonstrate how the first cells originated.

Question 57

The formation of the first macromolecules from the first simple organic molecules required

A) hydrolysis.
B) concentration of the simple molecules.
C) an oxidizing atmosphere.
D) spontaneous generation.

Question 58

A sphere formed by organic molecules surrounded by water molecules is called a

A) coacervate.
B) microsphere.
C) proteinoid.
D) protocell.

Question 59

Coacervates can

A) absorb chemicals from the environment.
B) separate their internal contents from their surroundings.
C) be synthesized in the lab.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 60

Microspheres

A) have a boundary membrane.
B) are formed from heating protein-like molecules
C) contain macromolecules.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 61

A probable sequence of the evolution of cells was

A) autotroph $\rightarrow$ aerobic heterotroph $\rightarrow$ anaerobic heterotroph.
B) anaerobic heterotroph $\rightarrow$ aerobic heterotroph $\rightarrow$ autotroph.
C) anaerobic heterotroph $\rightarrow$ autotroph $\rightarrow$ aerobic heterotroph.
D) aerobic heterotroph $\rightarrow$ autotroph $\rightarrow$ anaerobic heterotroph.

Question 62

The first cells were probably

A) Eukaryotic.
B) Archaea.
C) Aerobic.
D) Prokaryotic.

Question 63

According to the endosymbiotic theory, ___________ evolved from free-living prokaryotic cells.

A) nucleoli
B) mitochondria
C) ribosomes
D) Golgi bodies

Question 64

Chloroplasts

A) contain bacterial type DNA.
B) contain bacterial type ribosomes.
C) reproduce independently of the cell.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 65

Earth has supported life for approximately

A) 20 billion years.
B) 3.8 - 3.7 billion years.
C) 1.5 billion years.
D) 700 - 800 million years.

Question 66

In the origin and development of the major types of living things, which of the following is necessary before any of the other events could take place?

A) Photosynthesis
B) Aerobic respiration
C) The formation of organic molecules
D) The formation of cells

Question 67

Which of the following supports the idea that eukaryotic cells were formed by the joining of different kinds of prokaryotic cells?

A) Plants have cell walls.
B) Mitochondria carry on photosynthesis.
C) Chloroplasts contain DNA.
D) Animal cells have mitochondria.

Question 68

According to the currently popular scientific theory for the origin of life, which of the following occurred before all of the others?

A) Eukaryotic organisms
B) Oxygen in the atmosphere
C) Prokaryotic organisms
D) Photosynthesis

Question 69

The spontaneous generation of living things from nonliving things was thought to be common many years ago. Louis Pasteur used specially constructed flasks with a long S-shaped neck to prove that

A) spontaneous generation of organisms occurred in broth in the flasks.
B) oxygen was required to have living things present in the broth.
C) microorganisms had to enter the flask to get the broth to "spoil."
D) the broth "spoiled" even if organisms were not present.

Question 70

According to the currently popular scientific theory for the origin of life, which of the following processes originated after the others?

A) photosynthesis
B) aerobic respiration
C) anaerobic respiration
D) protein synthesis

Question 71

The protoplanet nebula model states that the simplest and most abundant gases would have been

A) hydrogen and helium.
B) oxygen and carbon dioxide.
C) nitrogen and hydrogen.
D) hydrogen and oxygen.

Question 72

The spontaneous formation of organic molecules does not happen today because they are

A) consumed by organisms or oxidized to simpler inorganic compounds in the atmosphere.
B) destroyed by the increase in harmful radiation coming through holes in the ozone layer.
C) unable to form because of a lack of sufficient internal energy.
D) photosynthesis is all that is required.

Question 73

Early in the 1900s, Svante Arrhenius proposed the concept of

A) panspermia.
B) spontaneous generation.
C) autotroph theory.
D) endosymbiosis.

Question 74

The scientific theories for the origin of life suggest that life arose

A) by endosymbiosis.
B) as a result of God's creation.
C) by deliberate design.
D) from natural processes and that these processes can be observed and evaluated by scientific experimentation.

Question 75

When we speculate about the origin of life from inorganic material it seems logical that several events or steps were necessary. Which of the following is not a part of these ideas?

A) Organic molecules must first be formed from inorganic molecules.
B) Basic organic molecules form RNA that can serve as the genetic material and catalyze other reactions.
C) RNA becomes self-replicating.
D) The inorganic molecules must be collected together and segregated from other molecules by a membrane.

Question 76

The nutrients utilized by the Archaea were most likely

A) sugars and proteins.
B) CO₂, CO, H₂, H₂S, N₂, and S.
C) vitamins and minerals.
D) carbohydrates and fats.

Question 77

The idea that life came to Earth from a distant planet is called

A) spontaneous generation.
B) panspermia.
C) the heterotroph hypothesis.
D) endosymbiotic theory.