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Origin of Life definitions

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  • Common Ancestor
    A shared origin point for all life, possessing complex features like hundreds of genes, DNA, RNA, and ribosomes.
  • Abiotic Synthesis
    Formation of organic molecules from non-living precursors, such as methane and ammonia, under early Earth conditions.
  • Amino Acids
    Organic molecules that serve as building blocks for proteins, shown to form under prebiotic conditions.
  • Alkaline Hydrothermal Vents
    Oceanic geological structures with basic chemistry, proposed as sites for the origin of organic molecules.
  • Miller-Urey Experiment
    A laboratory simulation of early Earth conditions that produced amino acids from simple gases and electrical sparks.
  • Macromolecules
    Large biological molecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids, formed by the polymerization of smaller units.
  • Polymerization
    Process where small molecules join to create larger, chain-like structures, essential for forming proteins and nucleic acids.
  • Protocells
    Membrane-bound vesicles capable of capturing and replicating molecules, considered precursors to true cells.
  • Vesicles
    Membrane-bound bubbles formed from phospholipids, able to encapsulate molecules and undergo simple division.
  • Phospholipids
    Molecules that spontaneously assemble into bilayers, forming the structural basis of cellular membranes.
  • RNA World Hypothesis
    A proposal that early life relied on RNA for both catalysis and genetic information before the evolution of DNA.
  • Ribozymes
    RNA molecules with catalytic activity, capable of speeding up chemical reactions and possibly self-replication.
  • Genetic Information
    Encoded instructions within molecules like RNA or DNA, necessary for inheritance and biological function.
  • Natural Selection
    A process where heritable traits become more common in a population due to differential survival and reproduction.