Early earth

• Atmosphere


  Reactive gases such as ammonia and hydrogen with very little oxygen
• Temperature


  Significantly warmer than todays due to asteroid heat
• UV radiation 


  No ozone layer, intense uv radiation
• Volcanic activity 


  volcanic eruptions released gases into the atmosphere
• Asteroid bombardment 


  Constant bombardment by asteroid as the solar system was forming
• Inorganic molecules 


  -Do not have carbon and hydrogen together in the same molecules

  -Usually have a small number of atoms

  -associated with non-living matter
• Organic molecules


  -contain carbon and hydrogen

  -large molecules with many atoms

  -living organisms
• Anabolic reaction 


  Building up

  Momomer- polymer
• Catabolic reaction


  breaking down

  Polymer- monomer
• small organic molecules may have been able to spontaneously form polymers on early earth:

  -amino acids can spontaneously link to form proteins

  -fatty acids can concentrate sufficiently to assemble into membranes