AP®︎ Biology: Topic 7.12 Flashcards

Master key terms and definitions for Topic 7.12 of AP Biology – Origins of Life on Earth to help you prep for quizzes and the AP exam.

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Term

Geological Evidence For Life's Origin

Definition

Ancient rocks and minerals reveal early Earth conditions such as atmosphere, temperature, and liquid water.

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Geological Evidence For Life's Origin
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Ancient rocks and minerals reveal early Earth conditions such as atmosphere, temperature, and liquid water.

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Early Earth Conditions
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Young Earth was initially hot, volcanic, and heavily bombarded, then later cooled and stabilized.

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Late Heavy Bombardment
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An early period of intense meteorite impacts that made Earth's surface largely uninhabitable.

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Ribozyme
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An RNA molecule that catalyzes chemical reactions without being a protein enzyme.

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Geological Timeline And Earliest Fossil Evidence
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Earth formed 4.6 bya, became habitable by 3.9 bya, and fossils show life by 3.5 bya.

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RNA World Hypothesis
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Early life may have relied on RNA because it stores information and catalyzes reactions.

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Assumptions Of The RNA World Hypothesis
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RNA replication ensured continuity, base-pairing enabled copying, and proteins were not yet catalysts.

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Stromatolites
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Layered rock structures formed by ancient microbial communities that provide early fossil evidence of life.

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