Describe the different hypotheses for what the first living thing might have been like.
The origin of life has been of great debate for centuries. This module will outline the various ideas of how life and Earth itself developed. You will learn the evidence for multiple theories on the origin of life and the evolution of these theories based on new scientific findings.
This module will also focus upon one of the most important achievements of the science of biology: the classification of organisms and the creation of an internationally agreed upon system of nomenclature. Understanding how organisms are classified provides an important basis for any future studies in ecology.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this module, you should be able to:
10A | Describe the evidence used to suggest an extraterrestrial source for life on earth. | |
10B | State the most probable physical conditions on early Earth and the changes thought to have happened before life could exist. | |
10C | Differentiate between the concepts of spontaneous generation and biogenesis. | |
10D | Examine the chemical and physical events that must have occurred to have life originate on Earth. | |
10E | Describe the different hypotheses for what the first living thing might have been like. | |
10F | Identify the way in which organisms have caused the atmosphere of the earth to change. | |
10G | State the order and approximate times for major evolutionary events. | |
10H | Examine the endosymbiotic theory. | |
10I | Explain the experimental evidence for the origin of life from organic and inorganic material. | |
10J | Distinguish between taxonomy and phylogeny. | |
10K | Describe the kinds of tools used to establish phylogenetic relationships. | |
10L | Distinguish among viruses, viroids, and prions. | |
10M | Describe the scientific method for naming organisms. | |
11A | List and give distinguishing characteristics of the kingdoms within the Domain Eukarya. | |
11B | Distinguish between Bacteria and Archaea. | |
11C | Explain the features that differentiate organisms as microbes. | |
11D | List the basic characteristics of members of the Protista, Archaea, Bacteria, and Fungi. | |
11E | Identify the type of environments in which microorganisms live. |