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    The document is a biology issue paper by Joshua Higbee discussing theories of the origin of life. There are several theories discussed, including Community Clay theory, Chilly Start theory, RNA World theory, and Panspermia. The author believes the Deep Sea Vents theory is the most plausible as hydrothermal vents provide a rich environment that could support the emergence of early life forms. The vents unite microbiology and geology and provide a potential setting for how life may have originated over 3 billion years ago.

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    Issue Paper

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    The document is a biology issue paper by Joshua Higbee discussing theories of the origin of life. There are several theories discussed, including Community Clay theory, Chilly Start theory, RNA World theory, and Panspermia. The author believes the Deep Sea Vents theory is the most plausible as hydrothermal vents provide a rich environment that could support the emergence of early life forms. The vents unite microbiology and geology and provide a potential setting for how life may have originated over 3 billion years ago.

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    The document is a biology issue paper by Joshua Higbee discussing theories of the origin of life. There are several theories discussed, including Community Clay theory, Chilly Start theory, RNA World theory, and Panspermia. The author believes the Deep Sea Vents theory is the most plausible as hydrothermal vents provide a rich environment that could support the emergence of early life forms. The vents unite microbiology and geology and provide a potential setting for how life may have originated over 3 billion years ago.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    50 views3 pages

    Issue Paper

    Uploaded by

    api-355503596
    The document is a biology issue paper by Joshua Higbee discussing theories of the origin of life. There are several theories discussed, including Community Clay theory, Chilly Start theory, RNA World theory, and Panspermia. The author believes the Deep Sea Vents theory is the most plausible as hydrothermal vents provide a rich environment that could support the emergence of early life forms. The vents unite microbiology and geology and provide a potential setting for how life may have originated over 3 billion years ago.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    Higbee 1

    Joshua Higbee

    D. Winters

    Biology 1010

    April 22, 2017

    Biology Issue Paper

    I chose the subject the origin of life. There a few different theories that

    explain the origin of life more than three billion years ago. Evolving from the

    most basic microorganism into the vast amount of different complexities

    over time. Where/how did the first organisms come to be on earth, the only

    known home to life in the universe (this far)?

    There are a lot of theories with scientific backing. Community Clay

    theory, where crystals in clay could have arranged organic molecules into

    organized patterns, after a while organizing themselves. Chilly Start theory,

    where the oceans might have been iced over protecting the organic

    compounds from UV rays, destruction from cosmic impacts, and helping

    extend their life to perform key reactions to happen. RNA World theory,

    explains how Ribonucleic Acid might have come before DNA and proteins,

    the more complex structures took control while RNA still remains/functions

    within the organism (other nucleic acids also suggested as origin of life such

    as PNA or TNA). Simple Beginnings, stating that rather than complex

    molecules, life may have begun with micro molecules interacting with each
    Higbee 2

    other in cycles creating more complex molecules. And Panspermia, which

    says life may have come from a rock blasted off another planet, comet or

    other star system (This would just change the question of origin of life on

    earth to the origin elsewhere in space).

    The Electric Spark theory was put out after Miller-Urey spark discharge

    experiments in 1953. Has been contested with evidence that Earths early

    atmosphere was hydrogen poor. Scientists have discussed the probability of

    volcano eruptions fueling the atmosphere with methane, ammonia, and

    hydrogen, then lightning did its part. Laboratory tests over many years have

    been able to get simple ingredients to synthesize into more complex

    structures (amino acids, sugars, nucleobases, and membrane forming

    liquids). Though trying so simulate the early world and not a lab environment

    remains a challenge for experimentalists. (Thomas M. McCollom)

    Deep sea vents, are geochemically reactive habitats that harbour rich

    microbial communities. Hydrothermal vents have chemical reaction

    similarities with autotroph prokaryotes. Hydrothermal vents thus unite

    microbiology and geology to breathe new life into research into one of

    biology's most important questions the origin of life - (William Martin, John

    Baross, Deborah Kelley, & Michael J. Russell).

    Of all these theories I believe that the Deep Sea Vents theory is the

    most plausible theory that I read about because of the rich environment it

    holds. From documentaries and studies of deep sea fish and prehistoric
    Higbee 3

    creatures that have been around for millions of years in these areas. I believe

    that it could be any of the theories with the testing and backing they have,

    and likely a mixture of multiple theories, but I think the deep sea vents are

    likely the largest contributor to the origin of life.

    References

    Thomas M. McCollom

    Miller-Urey and Beyond: What Have We Learned About Prebiotic

    Organic Synthesis Reactions in the Past 60 Years?, Annual Review of

    Earth and Planetary Sciences, vol 41 2013, pp 207-212

    William Martin, John Baross, Deborah Kelley, & Michael J. Russell

    Hydrothermal vents and the origin of life, Nature Reviews Microbiology

    6, 805-814 (November 2008)

    http://www.nature.com/nrmicro/journal/v6/n11/abs/nrmicro1991.html

    Robert F. Service, March 16, 2015,

    http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/03/researchers-may-have-

    solved-origin-of-life-conundrum

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