One Hypothesis That Has Been Proposed Regarding the Origin of Life

question 34

Multiple Choice

One hypothesis that has been proposed regarding the origin of life suggests that life evolved from an "RNA world" to today's "DNA world." Considering the properties of RNA and DNA molecules, which questions would direct an investigation of the most insightful test of this hypothesis?

• A) Is it likely that RNA molecules functioned as ribozymes to synthesize DNA from amino acids, and that this role was reversed when DNA became the information source?
• B) Is it likely that simple, yet stable RNA molecules served as a primitive precursor to a less stable DNA molecule that was more capable of storing more information?
• C) Could RNA have provided a template for DNA assembly, thereby enabling a more stable molecule that is replicated more accurately?
• D) Since ribozymes could freely enter and leave the vesicles, could these molecules have brought external DNA into the cell as a less stable, but more reliable storage molecule of double-stranded DNA?

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Definitions:

Sphenoid

A complex bone at the base of the skull, which contributes to the formation of the orbit, the nasal cavity, and several important foramina.

Occipital

Pertaining to the back part of the skull, primarily associated with the visual processing region of the brain.

Ethmoid

A spongy, cubed bone located at the top of the nasal cavity and at the front of the floor of the cranium, crucial for nasal support and olfaction.

Vomer

A thin, flat bone forming part of the nasal septum, which divides the nasal cavity into left and right nostrils.