KEY
Origin of Life
October 26, 2013
Name:____________________________________________
SC.912.L.15.8 Describe the scientific explanations of the origin of life on Earth.
1. Which types of organisms developed first due to the early environmental conditions on Earth?
A. prokaryotic and aerobic
B. prokaryotic and anaerobic
C. eukaryotic and aerobic
D. eukaryotic and anaerobic
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2. The Miller-Urey experiment of 1953 was designed to test the hypothesis that lightning supplied the
energy needed to turn atmospheric gases into organic molecules such as amino acids. Which of the
following describes why the Miller-Urey theory is widely accepted today?
A. Amino acids spontaneously form from molecules in the atmosphere today.
B. Organic molecules are present today in extremely high concentrations.
C. The process of synthesizing organic molecules from a mixture of gases has
been successfully modeled in the laboratory.
D. No other alternative hypotheses have been introduced.
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3. The scientist whose work was most effective in disproving spontaneous generation:
A. Needham
B. Miller
C. Urey
D. Pasteur
W.H. Freeman – What is Biology 2012
4. Before biogenesis became an accepted cornerstone of biology, it was widely accepted that _____.
A. living things could arise spontaneously from other living things
B. Francesco Redi and Louis Pasteur would be unable to test the current beliefs
C. flies could be produced only from other flies
D. maggots were the immature offspring of flies
W.H. Freeman – What is Biology 2012
5. One beneficial effect of oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere was the
A. formation of an ozone layer
B. increase in UV radiation
C. presence of stromatolites
D. destruction of aerobic organisms
W.H. Freeman – What is Biology 2012
6. A theory concerning the origin of life states that Earth’s ancient atmosphere contained
A. Water vapor, Carbon Dioxide, & Nitrogen
B. Water vapor, Oxygen, & Hydrogen
C. Methane, Ammonia, and Oxygen
D. Methane, Carbon Dioxide, & Oxygen
Holt McDougal – Biology 2012
7. To demonstrate that microorganisms entered the flasks along with dust particles from the air, Pasteur
A. broke off the necks of the flask
B. sealed the necks of the flask
C. added more broth to the flask
D. removed the broth from the flask
W.H. Freeman – What is Biology 2012
8. Results from repeated experiments by Miller and others on the origin of life forms indicate that
A. methane forms in the absence of oxygen
B methane forms in the presence of oxygen
C. ATP forms in the absence of oxygen
D. ATP forms in the presence of oxygen
Holt McDougal – Biology 2012
9. The diagram below shows a proposed theory of the origin of eukaryotic cells, called endosymbiosis.
Which of the following explains why cells that contained mitochondria-like organelles had an
evolutionary advantage?
A. They were able to photosynthesize
B. They had more DNA
C. They were able to make more use of available energy
D. They were immune to bacterial invasion.
ecsd-fl.schoolloop.com/L.15.8
10. Geologists are reasonably convinced that Earth is:
A. 4,600,000,000,000 years old
B. 4,600,000,000 years old
C. 460,000,000 years old
D. 46,000,000 years old
McGraw Hill – Biology 2012
11. Which scientist hypothesized that life originated in the early oceans?
A. Needham
B. Oparin
C. Redi
D. Schwann
question made by master teacher