BY 108 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Genomics, Lightning, Archaea
Document Summary
Qualities of life - originated in early waters containing cyanide, methane, hydrocarbons, etc. Movement - not necessary for life, nor possessed only by the living. Sensitivity - all living things respond to stimulus, but not all types of stimuli produce responses. Death - all living things die, but unless you can prove something is alive, then you can"t kill it. Genetic system w/ dna allows for adaptation/evolution over time. Able to change and keep the new effects of the change. Viruses, microspheres aren"t life because they can"t reproduce/change by themselves. Evolution/heredity - essential to life; definition of life inread invented by teads hypotheses about the origin of life. Special creation - oldest hypothesis; divine force placing life on earth. Panspermia (extraterrestrial origin) - meteors/cosmic dust brought organic molecules to earth; water on europa, fossils on mars indicate evidence of extraterrestrial life. Spontaneous origin - accepted by most scientists; life developed from inanimate objects as molecules became more complex.
