The Beginning of Human Life Form

956 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: theories on the origin of life 200-300 words

The Beginning of Human Life Form

As science and technology advance, an understanding of the origin of life becomes a feasible possibility. Artificial life research seeks to mimic life and to gain knowledge of the origin of life through reenacting it. This research strives to create the simplest possible “organism” that fulfills all of the requirements of life.

These researchers define life as that which can evolve, self-reproduce, metabolize, adapt to environmental changes, and, ultimately, die. A fundamental concept behind research attempts is emergent properties, those that arise in more complex levels and are not predictable from the properties of lower hierarchical levels. Researchers use two approaches to create protolife: the “bottom up” approach strives to create life from nonliving components, while the “top down” approach attempts to simplify living cells to create the simplest possible cell and thus give a glimpse of a possible form of the first living cell. The “bottom up” approach seems to be the more widely attempted method because it is believed that if nature had to start with simple building blocks, we should do the same.

There are two theories about the order in which life emerged; “one […] assumes the primacy of metabolism and cellular organization [while] the other […] assumes the primacy of reproduction and genetic information” (Lifson). Thus, much relevant research focuses on determining whether the origin of life began with self-replicating, information storing molecules (such as RNA or PNA) or with other molecules such as lipids or proteins (which form, for instance, encapsulating membranes). Whatever the order in which these characteristics evolved, there are three components a protocell m...

... middle of paper ...

... Internet document accessed 11/21/04. http://www.geocities.com/giantfideli/

CellNEWS_Scientists_to_Create_A_New_Form_of_Life.html

Lifson, Shneior. “On the Crucial Stages in the Origin of Animate Matter.” Journal of Molecular Evolution (1997) 44:1-8.

Rasmussen, Chen, et al. “Transitions from Nonliving to Living Matter.” Science.

Volume 303. 02/13/04.

Rasmussen, Steen, et al. Bridging Nonliving and Living Matter. (2003).

Bada, Jeffrey L. and Antonio Lazeano. “Prebiotic Soup—Revisiting the Miller Experiment.” Science. Vol. 300: 745-56. May 2003.

“Scientists Create a Virus.” CreationTalk.com Forum. Internet document accessed

11/21/04. http://www.creationtalk.com/message-board-forum/viewtopic.php?t=

482&view=next

Zimmer, Carl. “What Came before DNA?” Discover. Vol. 25: 34-41. June 2004.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Firstlife By Gena Showalter

    1982 Words  | 4 Pages

    Firstlife is a book written by Gena Showalter. In the book, there are two lives: the Firstlife and the Everlife. In the Firstlife, people carry out normal lives. During their Firstlife, people must decide which realm they will spend their Everlife in; Myriad or Troika. If a person is unsigned when their Firstlife ends, they will spend their Everlife being tortured in Many Ends. Myriad and Troika both have very different morals and stand for different things. They have been at war with each other for several centuries and they will do whatever it takes to recruit Tenley Lockwood.

    Read More

  • Evolution and The Island of Doctor Moreau

    1421 Words  | 3 Pages

    Philip G. Fothergill, Historical Aspects of Organic Evolution, pub. 1953 by the Philosophical Library Inc., 15 East 40th Street, New York, NY

    Read More

  • The Impact of European Diseases in the New World

    2003 Words  | 5 Pages

    Linton, Alan. 1982. Microbes, Man and Animals: The Natural History of Microbial Interactions. John Wiley & Sons. 342pp

    Read More

  • Suicide: The Causes And Side Effects Of Suicide

    1562 Words  | 4 Pages

    Suicide is arguably one of the most major controversies. Suicide is the act of taking one’s own life as a result of a psychiatric disorder that sometimes is brought on with certain life threatening illnesses, stress, genetics, or other influences like physical or emotional abuse. There are many conditions that are known for having suicidal thoughts and ideation as a side effect; major depression, manic depression, or bipolar disorder, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and many more. Most suicidal individuals want to avoid emotional or physical pain by killing themselves to escape the pain they can’t bear and solve their insoluble problem. Sometimes, suicide is also done out of anger. Suicide may not be the answer to their problems, but sometimes suicide is the only way to escape.

    Read More

  • Upper Paleolithic Era: Development of Homo Sapiens

    1050 Words  | 3 Pages

    When and why did Homo Sapiens begin to grow into a thriving population that have produced both cognitive and technological advances? No one knows for certain and because of this question countless amounts of people have decided to become anthropologists. Anthropology is defined as, “the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture(Merriam-Webster). Despite all of the time and effort that anthropologists have put into discovering the correct response, the answer to this question is constantly changing because population, cognitivity and technology are constantly changing too. One way to determine how these factors affect Homo Sapiens is by studying past societies. The development of technology expanded rapidly in the Upper Paleolithic era. The technological and cognitive advances made by the growing Upper Paleolithic people changed their lives for the better and allowed them to adapt to their environment in innumerable ways.

    Read More

  • Theory Of Goal Setting

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    The theory of goal setting was developed by Edward Locke and Gary Latham (1990) and states that there is a direct relationship between the setting of specific high goals and task performance. A higher degree of employee performance is obtained when specific goals are set compared to the performance achieved when employees are simply told to do their best (Latham & Locke, 2007). These findings have helped shape leadership styles and improve employee performance and job satisfaction (Posthuma & Al-Riyami, 2012).

    Read More

  • How Humans Developed: The Homo Sapiens

    1823 Words  | 4 Pages

    “The scientific study of how humans developed did not begin until the 1800s in Europe. Until that time, people relied on religious explanations of how humans came into existence. Starting in the 1500s a scientific revolution began to sweep Europe. Thinkers started using scientific methods and experiments to try to better understand the world and the creatures living in it. Eventually these methods were turned to the question of human origins” (The Nature Of Human Origins, 1). Earth made it possible for species to change over time because Ancient Earth provides ability to plenty of time.The Homo Sapien a is very complex creature. The species started off very simple by living in caves and surviving with little food and then later evolved into a species that were able to do many more complex things. The first species was Sahelanthropus tchadensis They were one of the most simple humans in that time period and on. They had very small skulls compared to Homo Sapiens today and their motor skills were just the same. We have evolved and changed for the better both mentally and physically. The Evolution of Homo Sapiens started off simple, such as the Neanderthals, and now we are the most advanced species to ever walk the planet so far.

    Read More

  • The Odyssey of Life

    526 Words  | 2 Pages

    It may be difficult to understand how the Odyssey, a 2,700 year old epic poem about gods and monsters, could ever symbolize life today. The Odyssey does, however, parallel to a journey of life because of the decisions made by Odysseus and decisions I will make as well as the trials he endured and the challenges I will face. Some of the obstacles I will endure in the future, including high school and college, may not be as serious as the monsters Odysseus had to face, nevertheless, they are still everyday situations that I must learn from.

    Read More

  • The Comparison of the Creation of the Universe and Origin of Man and New Species

    599 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Comparison of the Creation of the Universe and Origin of Man and New Species

    Read More

  • General Commentary of 1984 by George Orwell

    1507 Words  | 4 Pages

    George Orwell's dystopian (a fictional place where people lead dehumanized and fearful lives) vision of the year 1984, as depicted in what many consider to be his greatest novel, has entered the collective consciousness of the English-speaking world more completely than perhaps any other political text, whether fiction or nonfiction. No matter how far our contemporary world may seem from 1984's Oceania, any suggestion of government surveillance of its citizens -- from the threatened "clipper chip," which would have allowed government officials to monitor all computer activity, to New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's decision to place security cameras in Central Park -- produces cries of "Big Brother is watching." Big Brother, the all-seeing manifestation in 1984 of the Party's drive for power for its own sake has come to stand as a warning of the insidious nature of government-centralized power, and the way that personal freedoms, once encroached upon, are easily destroyed altogether.

    Read More

  • Goal Setting Theory Essay

    1245 Words  | 3 Pages

    The basic premises of the goal-setting theory is the relationship between how difficult and specific a goal is and people’s performance. We live in a goal-oriented society as people usually adhere to specific targets with a plan of action for guidance. Lack of accomplishment of goals leads to job dissatisfaction. Locke’s Goal-Setting Theory from 1968 has been a powerful way of motivating people and is often utilized in whole organizations to increase focus and productivity. The more specific and difficult goals are designed the more likely staff can achieve these goals as opposed to being too vague or easy goals. An organization should consider the five following principles of goal setting: clarity, goal difficulty, goal acceptance, goal specificity and feedback. Organizations that set clear and challenging goals and are open to honest feedback have a greater chance of achieving goals. According to Locke and Latham (2002), goal setting can be useful in predicting job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is an important attribute for employee productivity and commitment to the

    Read More

  • The Origin of Modern Humans

    1944 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout history, humans have asked many questions in regards to our own beginnings. Religion and science have examined what makes us who we are, and have tried to answer the enduring question of our own modern origins. Scientifically, theories are still debated as to when, where, and how modern Homo sapiens came to be what they are today. There are two major theories that now dominate the discussions of experts in the field of biological anthropology: the “Out-of-Africa” model and the “Multiregional” model of evolution. Stringer and Andrews argue that genetic and paleontological evidence supports a more recent Out-of-Africa model as opposed to a more drawn out Multiregional method that also incorporates gene flow (1263). In contrast, Wolpoff, Hawks, and Caspari claim that the Multiregional model is misunderstood, and clearing up discrepancies could bolster support for this theory instead (129). Pearson notes that while people like Wolpoff et al defend the Multiregional model, archaeological evidence seems to show that likely no intermixture between modern Homo sapiens and other archaic hominins happened during the spread of early Homo sapiens out of Africa (145). It is easy to see that the debate lingers onwards with an end not clearly in sight. This paper will further examine the arguments asserted by these authors and identify their core arguments, the data they use to support their arguments and determine which paper is the most convincing of the three.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Creation Vs Evolution

    1086 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The greatest mystery of existence is existence itself” (Chopra). Chopra, a world-renowned author, perceives the existence of life as a truly mystifying cerebration. The pending question that many scientist, and even theists, attempt to answer is how life ultimately began. Currently, the mystery is left with two propositions, evolution and creation. While both approaches attempt to answer the origins of life, evolution and creation are two contrasting concepts. Evolution views life to be a process by which organisms diversified from earlier forms whereas creation illustrates that life was created by a supernatural being. Creation and evolution both agree on the existence of microevolution and the resemblance of apes and humans but vary in terms of interpreting the origins of the life through a historical standpoint. A concept known as Faith Vs Fact comprehensively summarizes the tone of this debate, which leads the question of how life began.

    Read More

  • Life Begins at Conception

    554 Words  | 2 Pages

    “How far along in a pregnancy is it until the unborn child is considered human? At what point does it receive basic rights?” These propositions have been the topic of one the most controversial discussions of the century. Based on the research I have completed on this topic, it has been made indisputable to me that life begins at the moment of conception.

    Read More

  • What is the Origin of Mankind?

    482 Words  | 1 Pages

    Mankind’s origin is from God through creation. The Bible tells us in Genesis chapter 1 verse 27; So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him: male and female created He them. The Bible also says in Genesis chapter 2 verse 7, And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

    Read More

More about The Beginning of Human Life Form

Open Document