Biology Of Earth Essay, Research Paper

Sometime during our lives, we’ve questioned ourselves at one point just how long

has the earth existed and how did life begin? Our Biology book written by:

Solomon, Berg, and Martin, shows theories that has taught us that earth is

approximately 4.6 billion years old, and the earliest pieces of life form found

was dated back to approximately 3.8 billion years old. This only leaves a time

space of 800 million years between the formation of earth and the creation of

life. Since then, new theories have shown that life may have originated earlier

then they thought. From Bernstein, Sanford, and Allamandolas’ article,

"Life’s Far-Flung Raw Materials" comes the theory that only about 100

million years after the earliest possible point for earth to support life,

evidence shows that organisms were already flourishing. But with the amount of

time between this, it almost seems impossible, but not if something were to help

the process like space compounds. Christopher Chyba has the leading idea that

these space particles did in fact bring in the planet’s water and atmospheric

gases. These space organisms are thought to be responsible for making our earth

habitable by bringing in water and gas molecules which would provide our

atmosphere and oceans. Also, that the space debris was needed to build life and

could have even started the first cellular processes. These space molecules

could have absorbed UV-rays from the sun, helping out the weaker molecules, and

converting the light energy made into chemical food, which is essential for

photosynthesis. Miller showed that the planets first single celled organisms

came from a process of chemical steps which is possible for the building blocks

of life. It is stated that everyday, tons of space dust falls to the earth’s

surface, some found containing 50% organic carbon, bringing in about 30 tons of

organic material. So not only do some scientists argue about space particles

bringing in water and gases, but they could also bring in

"ready-made-organic molecules such as the ones seen today. From the

meteorites that hit the earth they were able to find a variety of 70 amino

acids, but only 8 are used by living cells to build proteins. These meteorites

also show such compounds including: nucleobases, ketones, quinones, carboxylic

acids, amines, and amides. Astronomers have seen a variety of these organic

compounds in the universe and more abundantly in clouds. An experiment was done

in a laboratory by Allamandola, where he developed a cloud containing such

compounds seen in meteorites. This provided more evidence towards the theory of

the earlier development of earth. With the presence of such extraterrestrial

compounds like amino acids, quinones, amphiphilic molecules, and other organics,

could have very well made it possible for the development or helping towards the

development of such life processes. In conclusion, it is easier for us to

believe that extraterrestrial compounds were present during the time of this

evolution and that it inhibited the creation of such living organisms. But since

this concept is relatively new there is not enough evidence to determine if such

compounds had anything to do with the development. Why couldn’t one say that the

scientists misinterpreted the development of earth and living organisms all

together? This assumption could regenerate all new findings as to when and how

the earth began.