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According to the hypothesis of Urey and Miller, which might be responsible for creating the building blocks of life?
lightning
oxygen
unicellular organisms
methane
lightning
According to the hypothesis of Urey and Miller, lightning might be responsible for creating the building blocks of life.
According to the hypothesis of Urey and Miller, lightning is believed to be responsible for creating the building blocks of life. To arrive at this answer, we can follow these steps:
1. Understand the Urey and Miller Hypothesis: This hypothesis was formulated by Stanley Miller and Harold Urey in 1953. It suggests that the conditions on early Earth, such as a reducing atmosphere (lacking in oxygen) and frequent lightning strikes, could have facilitated the synthesis of organic compounds necessary for the origin of life.
2. Identify the factors in the given options: Among the given options, lightning stands out as a potential factor that could have played a role in creating the building blocks of life.
3. Analyze each option: Let's examine the other options to confirm if they align with the Urey and Miller Hypothesis:
- Oxygen: The Urey and Miller Hypothesis focuses on a reducing atmosphere, which lacks oxygen. Thus, oxygen is unlikely to be responsible for creating the building blocks of life according to their hypothesis.
- Unicellular organisms: While unicellular organisms are a vital part of the evolution of life, the Urey and Miller Hypothesis primarily deals with the abiotic synthesis of organic compounds through lightning, rather than the influence of organisms.
- Methane: Although methane is present in a reducing atmosphere, it is not the primary focus of the Urey and Miller Hypothesis, which emphasizes lightning as the main catalyst.
4. Final answer: Therefore, lightning is believed to be the factor responsible for creating the building blocks of life, according to the Urey and Miller Hypothesis.