Question

A variety of different experiments have been done attempting to replicate conditions on early Earth and see whether organic molecules would form. If a group of scientists set up an experiment in which water is kept in an enclosed container with an atmosphere containing nitrogen and carbon gases but no oxygen gas, and the water is periodically splashed on hot rocks while being bombarded with ultraviolet radiation, which of the following are the scientists most likely to find if they let the experiment run for several months?

Answer 1

@GOODMAN Could you help me?

Answer 2

I only need help with 5 problems. If you could help me with them and explain a little bit, it would be AMAZING! and not to mention, I'd love you forever!!

Answer 3

Hmm..lemme think, this is a tough one.

Answer 4

I can give you 4 options to choose from. :)

Answer 5

A )One large vesicle surrounding all the organic molecules that formed

B) Small vesicles containing a variety of other organic molecules

C) Long strands of both DNA and RNA, as well as enzymes floating in the water

D) Individual amino acids and nucleic acids that will not join together

Answer 6

Im sorry its taking so long, lol, i almost got it.

Answer 7

Hmm..I cannot put it all in words myself, I personally haven't learned this myself, but I found this site, it can really help out :D
http://www.truthinscience.org.uk/tis2/index.php/component/content/article/51.html

Answer 8

So, @GOODMAN ; if you were to choose one of the answers above, which one would you choose?

Answer 9

Probably C or D. I cannot be sure, again, I havent learned this.

Answer 10

As @GOODMAN mentioned, such Miller-Urey type experiments are meant to mimic conditions of the young Earth. Anything formed out of this bombardment of energy and chemicals will not be complex (relatively) - that's a good rule of thumb for considering questions like these.

You certainly wouldn't have fully formed enzymes or DNA, so you can immediately rule out C. As for your other choices - vesicle formation is not unheard of in these experiments (see protobionts or liposomes). That being said, the simplest (and likeliest) choice to me seemed to be D.

As a caveat, nucleic acids aren't exactly "simple", and Campbell's does explicitly say that Miller-Urey type experiments have "not produced anything like nucleotides." So I guess it's a toss-up between B and D; maybe someone else can offer you some more help - sorry! :P

Answer 11

In Campbell it says that by dripping amino acids onto hot rock, amino acid polymers forms. I would guess B.

Answer 12

I went with B. I'm still doing this lesson, but I'll let you guys know if you were right.

Answer 13

Thanks, @careless850 - good luck with your hw.