Questions on Formation of Earth – First Organic Molecules
Multiple-Choice Questions: Formation of Earth – First Organic Molecules
1. Approximately how many years ago did Earth form?
A) 1.2 billion years ago
B) 2.5 billion years ago
C) 3.0 billion years ago
D) 4.6 billion years ago
E) 6.0 billion years ago
2. Which gases were most likely present in Earth’s early atmosphere?
A) Oxygen and nitrogen
B) Hydrogen and helium
C) Carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and water vapor
D) Ozone and argon
E) Nitrogen and oxygen
3. Who conducted the famous experiment simulating early Earth’s conditions?
A) Charles Darwin
B) James Watson
C) Stanley Miller and Harold Urey
D) Rosalind Franklin
E) Alexander Oparin and J.B.S. Haldane
4. What was produced in the Miller-Urey experiment?
A) DNA and RNA
B) Simple sugars
C) Amino acids
D) Viruses
E) Living cells
5. What is the significance of the Miller-Urey experiment?
A) It proved life originated on another planet
B) It showed life cannot arise without DNA
C) It demonstrated that organic molecules could form under early Earth conditions
D) It disproved spontaneous generation
E) It discovered photosynthesis
6. The "primordial soup" hypothesis suggests that life began in:
A) Frozen ice caps
B) Hydrothermal vents
C) Oceans rich in organic molecules
D) Space
E) Inside volcanoes
7. Which element is essential for the structure of organic molecules?
A) Iron
B) Calcium
C) Carbon
D) Sodium
E) Magnesium
8. What role did lightning and UV radiation play in early Earth?
A) Protected molecules from destruction
B) Prevented molecule formation
C) Provided energy for chemical reactions
D) Destroyed all organic compounds
E) Only formed inorganic salts
9. Which of the following is considered an organic molecule?
A) H₂O
B) CO₂
C) CH₄
D) NaCl
E) O₂
10. The hypothesis that life originated from nonliving matter is known as:
A) Natural selection
B) Abiogenesis
C) Biogenesis
D) Panspermia
E) Evolution
11. Which of the following is NOT one of the four major biomolecules?
A) Lipids
B) Carbohydrates
C) Nucleic acids
D) Proteins
E) Minerals
12. What is the theory that life came from outer space?
A) Abiogenesis
B) Biogenesis
C) Evolution
D) Panspermia
E) Endosymbiosis
13. Which is the first step believed to occur in the origin of life?
A) Formation of cell walls
B) Formation of organic molecules
C) Evolution of multicellular organisms
D) Oxygen production
E) Reproduction
14. What are protocells?
A) Fully developed cells
B) Organic molecules with no membrane
C) Membrane-bound structures capable of maintaining an internal environment
D) Fossils
E) DNA molecules
15. Which molecule is believed to have acted as both information storage and catalyst in early life?
A) DNA
B) Protein
C) RNA
D) Glucose
E) Lipid
16. Which of the following conditions was NOT present on early Earth?
A) High volcanic activity
B) Presence of free oxygen
C) UV radiation
D) Frequent lightning storms
E) High temperatures
17. Which scientist proposed that early organic molecules formed in shallow ponds?
A) Stanley Miller
B) Harold Urey
C) Charles Darwin
D) Alexander Oparin
E) Gregor Mendel
18. Which of the following would have destroyed early organic molecules if present in the atmosphere?
A) Methane
B) Nitrogen
C) Oxygen
D) Ammonia
E) Carbon dioxide
19. What is a common feature of all organic molecules?
A) They contain oxygen
B) They contain carbon
C) They are solid at room temperature
D) They are always acidic
E) They are radioactive
20. Which of these locations is now considered a likely site for the origin of life?
A) Deep-sea hydrothermal vents
B) Polar ice caps
C) Deserts
D) Earth's core
E) Stratosphere
Answer Key
1. D
2. C
3. C
4. C
5. C
6. C
7. C
8. C
9. C
10. B
11. E
12. D
13. B
14. C
15. C
16. B
17. D
18. C
19. B
20. A
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