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Origin of Life
Origin of Life
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4.0-3.8 BYA Ago
(NASA Astrobiology, n.d.)
Alkaline Hyrdothermal Vents
Alkaline Hyrdothermal Vents
Considered a leading candidate for the origin of life on Earth due to their unique chemical and physical conditions.
Warm, mineral rich vents emitting plumes due to high concentration of iron sulfide
Chemiosmotic Coupling
Chemiosmotic Coupling
Eventually ATP Production with the use of ions
Allows for organism to survive harsh environment
Hydrogen and CO2, gradients powered primitive chemical cycles, enabling early metabolism without enzyme
Iron-sulfur minerals might have catalyzed formation of complex molecules
(Morelli et al., 2019)
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(What Is RNA?, n.d.)
RNA World Hypothesis
RNA World Hypothesis
Early life may have used RNA molecules as both genetic material and catalysts
Self-replicating RNA came before DNA and proteins
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Miller-Urey Experiment
Miller-Urey Experiment
Nucleotides and amino acids could form gases and electric pores supporting abiotic synthesis
(Finding the Recipe for Life on Earth, 2021)
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(Last, 2017)
LUCA
LUCA
Simple, Prokaryote-like cell with RNA-based enzymes DNA Replication and rudimental metabolism
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3.8-3.5 BYA Ago
Prokaryote Diversity
Prokaryote Diversity
Two Domains: Bacteria and Archaea: Prokaryotes are split into these two distinct domains, each with unique evolutionary histories and biochemical characteristics.
Vast Metabolic Diversity: They exhibit an unparalleled range of metabolism, allowing them to thrive in virtually every environment by utilizing diverse energy and nutrient sources.
Bacteria
Archaea
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Bacteria
Bacteria
Single cell prokaryote without nucleus
Process diverse metabolic pathway
Bacteria require new genetic material from other bacteria (Horizontal Gene Transfer)
(Home, 2025)
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(Archaea Group, n.d.)
Archaea
Archaea
Single cell prokaryote distinct from bacteria.
Often inhabit extreme environment (Acidity & Salinity etc.)
Engulfed bacteria symbiont
Some archaea share a closer evolutionary relationship to eukaryotes
Possess unique membrane, lipids, and genetic sequences
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Bacteria and Archaea Comparison
Bacteria and Archaea Comparison
No Nucleus
No membrane bound organelle
Circular DNA
Cell Wall
Binary Fission
Ribosome 70s
(Rachael, 2021)
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Eukarya
Eukarya
(Pictures of Eukarya Animalia, 2021)
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(Chat GPT, 2025)
Mithochodria
Mithochodria
Derived from Alpha-proteobacteria: Mitochondria are believed to have originated from an ancient endosymbiotic event where an ancestral eukaryotic cell engulfed an aerobic alpha-proteobacterium.
Host Cell: More like Archaea: The host cell that engulfed the bacterium (which became the mitochondrion) is thought to have been an archaeon, explaining why the eukaryotic nucleus and cytoplasmic machinery share more similarities with Archaea than Bacteria.
Double membrane
Circular DNA (Like Bacteria)
Ribosomes
Replicate independently via Binary Fussion
Chloroplast
Chloroplast
Photosynthesis Powerhouses: Chloroplasts are the organelles within plant and algal cells where photosynthesis takes place, converting light energy into chemical energy (sugars).
Endosymbiotic Origin: They likely evolved from free-living photosynthetic bacteria that were engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells, forming a symbiotic relationship.
(Crosssection View of Mitochondria, 2023) (Facts Editor, 2021)
The ENDOSYMBIOTIC THEORY
The ENDOSYMBIOTIC THEORY
(Chat GPT, 2025)
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