Biology Notebook: 01.

03A Earth’s Early Atmosphere Honors

Objectives:
 Recognize the role early cells played in shaping life on Earth

Key Questions and Terms Notes

From Molecules to Cells: At some point, molecules began to come together and form distinct areas that
acted somewhat like early cells, although scientists don’t agree exactly on how this happened.

What properties are shared by all modern cells? 1.

2.
3.
There are two current hypotheses on how cell 1.
membranes formed: 2.
Iron Sulfide Hypothesis

Where have scientists found vents of hot water and

minerals?

What did researchers find around the vents?

How does the iron sulfide form into chimneys on

the ocean floor?

How did scientists simulate the formation of the

rocks?

What occurred in the iron sulfide compartments?

What purpose did they serve?

What is another piece of evidence that may support

the Iron Sulfide hypothesis?

Lipid Membrane Hypothesis

What do scientists believing in this hypothesis

think was the early form of cells?

Why do they think that?

Early Cells

Describe the earliest cells.

Did the first prokaryotic cells need oxygen?

How did the first prokaryotic cells obtain energy?

Define heterotroph.
What did the early cells have as a food source?

Anaerobic Respiration

What is anaerobic respiration?

What are two types of anaerobic respiration? 1.

2.

First Autotrophs

What does anaerobic respiration produce? Was this

present in Earth’s early atmosphere?

What are autotrophs?

Describe the 2 types of autotrophs: 1.

2.

Why do scientists believe autotrophic cells evolved

after anaerobic heterotrophic cells?

Descendants of Early Cells

List the four types of cells found today that 1.

scientists believe are similar to the early cells on 2.
Earth and one interesting fact about each. 3.
4.

Production of Oxygen
What does fossil evidence show us about the
earliest and most abundant autotrophic cells?

What are cyanobacteria and why are they

important?

As cyanobacteria and other autotrophs increased,

how did the atmosphere change?

What became the dominant life forms on the planet

as the oxygen became more abundant?

Sample question:
If there was not an increase in cyanobacteria in early Earth, what would have happened to Earth’s early
atmosphere?

A. The amount of oxygen would have increased, causing an increase in aerobic autotrophs and
heterotrophs
B. The amount of oxygen would have increased, causing a decrease in aerobic autotrophs and
heterotrophs.
C. The amount of oxygen would have decreased, causing an increase in aerobic autotrophs and
heterotrophs.
D. The amount of oxygen would have decreased, causing a decrease in aerobic autotrophs and
heterotrophs.