Hydrothermal Vents
Who did this experiment and when?
Chemist John Sutherland and his team in 2008
When was the hypothesis made?
In the 1920s
How did Oro observe and verify the creation of amino acids?
Paper chromatography
What type of system was the experiment (open or closed)?
closed
What were the three conditions of hydrothermal vents modeled by the simulation?
High Pressure, High Temperature, and the presence of methyl sulfides
What were the three gases that were combined in the experiment?
Methane, ammonia, and hydrogen gas
What key components did he use to create amino acids?
HCN, ammonia, and heat
What places can such hot and dry conditions be found on Earth (name 3)?
hot springs, volcanoes, hydrothermal vents
What was added to the machine to form the organic molecules?
Ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, and water
What did the Oparin-Haldane hypothesis suppose the first organisms were?
Heterotrophs in the ocean
Which amino acids were seen?
alanine, glycine, and aspartic acid
Why did the experiment need to be hot and dry?
water would prevent the formation of polymers
An area on the seafloor where superheated water and chemicals are expelled from earths interior
Describe the theory of abiogenesis
The theory that macromolecules evolved from inorganic molecules driven by a large energy input (the sun).
What was the purpose of the Joan Oro experiment and what did it demonstrate about the origins of life?
The purpose of the Joan Oro experiment was to investigate the origins of life on Earth by simulating the conditions of the early Earth in a laboratory setting. The experiment demonstrated that specifically amino acids could be created through natural chemical processes under certain conditions.
What does the cellophane dialysis tubing do?
In the experiment, the solid residue containing the polypeptide chains was placed inside cellophane dialysis tubing and then immersed in a water bath. Over time, water and other small molecules would pass into the tubing, while the larger polypeptide chains would remain inside. This process is known as dialysis and allows for filtration based on their size and chemical properties.