1. How life emerged….

2.   Emerging from Volcanoes, gases such as Ammonia, Methane, Water vapor, and Hydrogen were released into atmosphere.  Earth started to cool. Early Earth Atmosphere

3.   The gases condensed to form the seas of the Earth. Sea Formation

4.   Formation of simple organic molecules.  This transformation from inorganic molecules to organic molecules needed an input of energy.  These forms of energy were UV light, Heat, Radioactivity, and Lightning.  We had our simple monomers for the macromolecules. Simple Organic molecules

5.   Through the process of dehydration synthesis, the monomers combined into many different forms of polymers.  The RNA World hypothesis states that RNA was the first nucleic acid because it has the ability to self-replicate through it’s own catalysis. Polymers appeared

6.   These were the first cells.  Formed in a manner analogous to the micelle formation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions.  Unable to reproduce, but could carry out chemical reactions and have permeable membranes. Protobionts appeared

7.   First cells were anaerobic…no oxygen around.  They consumed organic molecules through fermentation (anaerobic cellular respiration—think beer).  Therefore, there was a build up of CO 2  The stage was set for Photosynthesis! Heterotrophic Prokaryotes

8.   Photosynthesis started to happen.  Oxygen started to build-up in the atmosphere.  The oxygen interacts with UV light to produce ozone.  The ozone layer built up.  Our story is just beginning…. Autotrophs were born!