The Big Bang theory of the

formation of the universe

• All material in the universe
was created in a huge
"explosion," creating and
defining matter and space.
• The sudden cooling of the
superheated ejecta facilitated
the combination of atomic
components into atoms and
molecules.
• These clouds of gasses
eventually cooled and
formed the principle
components of galaxies -
including stars and planets.
Formation of the solar system
A. The earth formed approximately 4.6
BYA (billion years ago.) Initially,
there was a cloud of gasses and
dust particles, possibly originating
from the ejected particles of a
nearby supernova.

B. The cloud gradually contracted and

flattened, concentrating about 99%
of its mass in the center with the
rest rotating counterclockwise in a
flattened disk.

C. As the disk rotated, turbulence was

created, causing condensation of
the disk into small, turbular eddies.
These gradually accreted together
to form protoplanets.

D. These protoplanets further accreted,

creating the mature planets of the
solar system.
 Origin of life
Oparin-Haldane hypothesis.
• The atmosphere of the early Earth may
have been chemically reducing in nature,
composed primarily of
1. methane (CH4),
2. ammonia (NH3),
3. water (H2O),
4. hydrogen sulfide (H2S),
5. carbon dioxide (CO2) or
 Origin of life

1. Carbon monoxide (CO), and

2. Phosphate (PO43-), with

3. Molecular oxygen (O2) and

4. Ozone (O3) either rare or absent.

 Origin of life
• In such a reducing atmosphere, electrical
activity can catalyze the creation of certain
basic small molecules (monomers) of life,
such as amino acids.

• This was demonstrated in the Miller–Urey

experiment by Stanley L. Miller and Harold
C. Urey in 1953.
 Origin of life
• Phospholipids (of an appropriate length)
can spontaneously form lipid bilayers, a
basic component of the cell membrane

• These organics, accumulated in the

surface waters of the ocean, forming a
"primordial soup", out of which, in time, life
in its most elementary form emerged
 Oparin-Haldane model

The steps of the Oparin-Haldane model are

described below.

• 1) Organic molecules including amino acids and

nucleotides are synthesized abiotically (without

living cells).
 Oparin-Haldane model

• 2) Organic building blocks in the prebiotic soup

are assembled into polymers of proteins and

nucleic acids.

• 3) Biological polymers are assembled into a self-

replicating organism that fed on the existing

organic molecules.
 Miller-Urey Experiment
Diagram of the Miller-Urey
apparatus Conducted in
1953 by Stanley Miller
under the supervision of
Harold Urey; the first
experiment to test the
Oparin-Haldane theory
about the evolution of
prebiotic chemicals and the
origin of life on Earth.
1. A mixture of methane,
ammonia, hydrogen, and
water vapor, to simulate
the version of Earth's
primitive, reducing
atmosphere proposed by
Oparin, was introduced
into a 5-liter flask and
 Heat supplied to
The products this flask recycled
were allowed to
condense and collect the water vapor just
in a lower flask which as water evaporates
modeled a body of from lakes and seas,
water on the Earth's before moving into
surface.
the atmosphere and
condensing again as
rain
 Miller-Urey Experiment
• After a day of continuous operation, • Apparatus used in the Miller-Urey
Miller and Urey found a thin layer of experiment
hydrocarbons on the surface of the
water.
• After about a week of operation, a dark
brown scum had collected in the lower
flask and was found to contain several
types of amino acids, including glycine
and alanine, together with sugars, tars,
and various other unidentified organic
chemicals
• The conditions were:
1. A gaseous phase containing reduced
sources of carbon (methane), nitrogen
(ammonia), oxygen atoms (water), and
hydrogen atoms from any or all of
these precursors as well as hydrogen
gas.
2. Electrical energy provided by spark
discharge.
3. Ambient temperature between 0 and
100 C.
4. Sterile conditions to begin with (abiotic
environment).