Life probably never would have emerged if the ancient atmosphere had been the same as the present one, because ____ interferes with the assembly of simple organic compounds.
A)carbon dioxide
B)hydrogen
C)oxygen
D)nitrogen
E)silica

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Oxygen interferes with the assembly of simple organic compounds. The presence of oxygen would have prevented the formation of the necessary building blocks of life, such as amino acids and nucleotides. Evidence suggests that the ancient atmosphere of Earth was likely composed primarily of carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and ammonia, with little to no oxygen.

Life Probably Never Would Have Emerged If the Ancient Atmosphere