Conditions Of Earth: Primitive Conditions On Early Earth

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1.1) Primitive conditions on Earth
The conditions on early Earth, when dated back to 4 billion years, are very different now. Keeping in view the “Big Bang Theory” the conditions were very extreme in the terms of temperature. Consequently, the earth was extremely hot, causing the evaporation of liquid into the atmosphere. Gradually, as the earth cooled, the water vapors in the atmosphere condensed and fell as rain. They did not boil away but remained in pools that eventually converted into lakes and oceans.
In addition to that, the earth was constantly bombarded with meteorites and other space debris due to no protection. Therefore it is believed that early Earth's atmosphere consisted of hydrogen, nitrogen, ammonia, methane, water vapors and carbon dioxide. Here it is to be noted that primitive Earth atmosphere lacked oxygen. The early atmosphere consisted of hot hydrogen gas, not light enough to be held by Earth's gravity. Later on water vapor, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and methane took place of the hydrogen that was present in atmosphere. The seas and oceans were formed by the condensation of those vapors. Other conditions like lightning, volcanic activity, and ultraviolet radiation took place too. It was in this scenario that life began.

1.2) Conditions that support life on Earth
1.2.1.1) Oxygen
It is a highly reactive gas that can form compounds with many other elements. It is the third most abundant element on Earth, following hydrogen and helium. It is the most abundant element in the Earth’s crust by mass. About 20.8% oxygen is present in Earth’s air. Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, bones, teeth, all of these require oxygen thus life is not possible without oxygen. Above all, all ce...

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...ous than it is today. Recently, Jeffrey Bada of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography has proposed that the oceans would not completely freeze if at that time the sun and the Earth would have been of same temperature. Instead, he calculates that only the top 300 meters of the ocean would freeze over.
The layer of ice provides a protective shield by preventing ultra-violet light, which causes the destruction of organic compounds, from accessing the molecules under development. The water beneath the ice is cold, allowing for organic molecules to survive over much longer periods of time. These organic molecules must have migrated from thermal vents. The components that are required for organic synthesis such as the Strecker synthesis would have been provided and kept stable, while the bottom of the ocean would have provided a place for organics to gather and react.

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