Question

Earth is a place that is __________ and __________ by life. 2. when was earth "born"? 3. [earth] was covered in __________ and smothered in noxious __________. 4. what cataclysm occurred that eventually led to the moon's formation? 5. the young sun was __________ than it is today. 6. when the atmosphere was thicker and dominated by co2, the earth had a __________ tinge to it and the oceans would have had an olive __________ color rather than out familiar blue color. 7. for about the first 600 billion years, comets and asteroids (300 miles across) pounded our planet- a time known as the "heavy bombardment." their impacts vaporized earth's __________ and melted its__________. 8. hydrogen sulfide can be extremely __________ so the scientists wear gas masks inside the cave. 9. can any other forms of life survive in the deep recesses of a cave so toxic to humans? 10. snottites acidity (ph) is that of __________ __________. 11. all living things, from bacteria to mice to you and me, are made from a small set of chemical elements: __________, oxygen, __________, nitrogen- four of the most common elements in the universe. 12. the brown goo that formed in stanley miller's lab experiment was what? __________ __________ (they are compounds that form molecules when carbon and other elements link together and are the building blocks of proteins, cells – which are the vital ingredients of all living things.) 13.
a.where are some of the oldest rocks found on earth?
b.how old are these rocks? 14. what do you see in a magnifying piece of space dust? 15. there are more than _____ kinds of amino acids that have been found in meteorites, and many are the fundamental ingredients of __________ that make up living cells. 16. amino acids, combinations of carbon and other basic elements, had fused together to form more complex molecules called __________. 17. [in underwater volcano vents] despite scalding __________, acid eruptions and total lack of __________, [scientists] found creatures of all types thriving. 18. named after the _____-_________ color of their cells, these cyanobacteria use photosynthesis to collect energy from the sun. they secrete a sticky coating to shield them from __________ radiation. 19. over time, stromatolites spread out across the __________. as a byproduct of photosynthesis, the ancient bacteria formed a waste product: __________. 20. cyanobacteria produced oxygen in varying amounts as water __________ changed throughout the seasons. 21. tiny microbes raised the level of oxygen from less than one percent to today's __________ percent. 22. with the protection of the __________ layer, life was able to diversify into more complex __________. 23. it's only been the last ___________ percent of earth's history where there was life on the surface of earth that you could see with your naked eye. 24. multi-cellular life that we are most familiar with- animals, plants, and their environment- was made possible by the slow, toilsome task of __________ to oxygenate the __________. list one of the "waste" products of photosynthesis that ended up being very important to the development of future life forms. why was this important?

Answer 1

1. Earth is a place that is shaped and molded by life.

Example of this would be plants.  During the early years of the Earth, primitive plants according to scientists, may have helped decongest the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  They help in the process called silicate weathering.

2. The Earth was born 4.5 billion years ago.

The Earth is about a third of the age of the universe.  Earth was born from the same cloud of gases that birthed our sun and other celestial bodies in our solar system. It was formed through extreme heat and pressure characterized as a molten planet at the time.

3. Earth was covered in lava and smothered in noxious gases.

It was, as mentioned earlier, a molten planet. Lava and noxious gases were from the constant volcanic eruptions that occurred. These volcanic eruptions also helped shape the Earth’s crust when the molten material began to cool, creating more solid surfaces.

4. what cataclysm occurred that eventually led to the moon's formation? Another planet, more or less the size of Mars slammed into Earth.

The planet Earth experienced many collisions with different space debris and dust like asteroids, meteors and comets contributed to the shape of the Earth. The formation of the moon was explained by the “giant impact hypothesis” which proposes this cataclysm.

5. The young sun was weaker than it is today.

The sun’s rays could barely penetrate the atmosphere. The atmosphere was covered in carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.

6. When the atmosphere was thicker and dominated by carbon dioxide, the Earth had a reddish tinge to it and the oceans would have had an olive green color rather than out familiar blue color.

The reddish-tinge would be due to the carbon dioxide concentration of the atmosphere at the time, which was a lot denser. The green color of the oceans would have been due to the high concentration of iron in the oceans of early Earth.

7. For about the first 600 billion years, comets and asteroids (300 miles across) pounded our planet- a time known as the "heavy bombardment." Their impacts vaporized earth's oceans and melted its crust

The heavy bombardment is a period where smaller asteroids and planets that failed to form collided with bigger celestial bodies that scarred the surfaces. The Earth may show less scars but Mercury, Venus, Mars and the moon show evidence that there was an increase in collisions.

8. Hydrogen sulfide can be extremely poisonous so the scientists wear gas masks inside the cave.

Hydrogen sulfide when combined with moisture and humidity can form sulfuric acid. When breathed in, it can damage the lining of your lungs. Wearing gas masks filters the hydrogen sulfide, but in high concentrations, it can still penetrate through the mask.

9. Can any other forms of life survive in the deep recesses of a cave so toxic to humans? Yes.

Microbes dwell in places like these. Bacteria and arcahea dwell in these caves despite the extreme environment. They use the gasses like sulfide and carbon monoxide as sources of energy.

10. Snottites acidity (ph) is that of battery acid.

Snottite are also known as snoticles. They are similar to stalactites, but they have a mucus-like consistency. They hang from the walls and ceilings of caves. They are made up of extremophelic bacteria that form a microbial mat. They have a pH of 0-2.

Please look at the attachment for the other numbers.