Origins of Life

1. Origins of Life A theory on how it happened (hydrothermal vent with crystal theory) By: Matt Tan Vince Ngan

2. Stanley Miller-Urey experiment • Miller and Urey imitated the conditions of Earth inside a lab • They exposed steam to a mixture of methane ammonia and hydrogen • The mixture was subjected to an electrical discharge which induced a chemical reaction. • The products of which are amino acids (glycine, alanine, etc)

4. What happens afterwards • Where did the amino acid molecules go? • How did they form more complex structures? • How were proteins formed?

5. Hydrothermal vent • This theory suggests that life started in hydrothermal vents • Scientists proposed that the ocean at that time was acidic and the hydrothermal vents are basic. (spews out alkaline fluid) • The interface between the two created a natural charged gradient that gave enough energy for the amino acids to form more complex molecules

6. Electrochemical gradients

7. Crystal theory • Amino acids flowing freely in the ocean(less chance of them meeting each other in such a vast space) • Hydrothermal vents spew out mineral rich crystals • Robert Hazen discovered that amino acids and organic molecules stick to the crystalline structures(flesh goes around