essay about earth and life science brainly

Covering a story? Visit our page for journalists or call (773) 702-8360.

UChicago Class Visits

Top stories.

• UChicago students help support young migrants at South Side schools
• UChicago scientists tap the power of collaboration to make transformative breakthroughs

UChicago announces recipients of Academic Communicators Network awards for 2024

The origin of life on earth, explained.

The origin of life on Earth stands as one of the great mysteries of science. Various answers have been proposed, all of which remain unverified. To find out if we are alone in the galaxy, we will need to better understand what geochemical conditions nurtured the first life forms. What water, chemistry and temperature cycles fostered the chemical reactions that allowed life to emerge on our planet? Because life arose in the largely unknown surface conditions of Earth’s early history, answering these and other questions remains a challenge.

Several seminal experiments in this topic have been conducted at the University of Chicago, including the Miller-Urey experiment that suggested how the building blocks of life could form in a primordial soup.

Jump to a section:

• When did life on Earth begin?

Where did life on Earth begin?

What are the ingredients of life on earth, what are the major scientific theories for how life emerged, what is chirality and why is it biologically important, what research are uchicago scientists currently conducting on the origins of life, when did life on earth begin .

Earth is about 4.5 billion years old. Scientists think that by 4.3 billion years ago, Earth may have developed conditions suitable to support life. The oldest known fossils, however, are only 3.7 billion years old. During that 600 million-year window, life may have emerged repeatedly, only to be snuffed out by catastrophic collisions with asteroids and comets.

The details of those early events are not well preserved in Earth’s oldest rocks. Some hints come from the oldest zircons, highly durable minerals that formed in magma. Scientists have found traces of a form of carbon—an important element in living organisms— in one such 4.1 billion-year-old zircon . However, it does not provide enough evidence to prove life’s existence at that early date.

Two possibilities are in volcanically active hydrothermal environments on land and at sea.

Some microorganisms thrive in the scalding, highly acidic hot springs environments like those found today in Iceland, Norway and Yellowstone National Park. The same goes for deep-sea hydrothermal vents. These chimney-like vents form where seawater comes into contact with magma on the ocean floor, resulting in streams of superheated plumes. The microorganisms that live near such plumes have led some scientists to suggest them as the birthplaces of Earth’s first life forms.

Organic molecules may also have formed in certain types of clay minerals that could have offered favorable conditions for protection and preservation. This could have happened on Earth during its early history, or on comets and asteroids that later brought them to Earth in collisions. This would suggest that the same process could have seeded life on planets elsewhere in the universe.

The recipe consists of a steady energy source, organic compounds and water.

Sunlight provides the energy source at the surface, which drives photosynthesis. On the ocean floor, geothermal energy supplies the chemical nutrients that organisms need to live.

Also crucial are the elements important to life . For us, these are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus. But there are several scientific mysteries about how these elements wound up together on Earth. For example, scientists would not expect a planet that formed so close to the sun to naturally incorporate carbon and nitrogen. These elements become solid only under very cold temperatures, such as exist in the outer solar system, not nearer to the sun where Earth is. Also, carbon, like gold, is rare at the Earth’s surface. That’s because carbon chemically bonds more often with iron than rock. Gold also bonds more often with metal, so most of it ends up in the Earth’s core. So, how did the small amounts found at the surface get there? Could a similar process also have unfolded on other planets?

The last ingredient is water. Water now covers about 70% of Earth’s surface, but how much sat on the surface 4 billion years ago? Like carbon and nitrogen, water is much more likely to become a part of solid objects that formed at a greater distance from the sun. To explain its presence on Earth, one theory proposes that a class of meteorites called carbonaceous chondrites formed far enough from the sun to have served as a water-delivery system.

There are several theories for how life came to be on Earth. These include:

Life emerged from a primordial soup

As a University of Chicago graduate student in 1952, Stanley Miller performed a famous experiment with Harold Urey, a Nobel laureate in chemistry. Their results explored the idea that life formed in a primordial soup.

Miller and Urey injected ammonia, methane and water vapor into an enclosed glass container to simulate what were then believed to be the conditions of Earth’s early atmosphere. Then they passed electrical sparks through the container to simulate lightning. Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, soon formed. Miller and Urey realized that this process could have paved the way for the molecules needed to produce life.

Scientists now believe that Earth’s early atmosphere had a different chemical makeup from Miller and Urey’s recipe. Even so, the experiment gave rise to a new scientific field called prebiotic or abiotic chemistry, the chemistry that preceded the origin of life. This is the opposite of biogenesis, the idea that only a living organism can beget another living organism.

Seeded by comets or meteors

Some scientists think that some of the molecules important to life may be produced outside the Earth. Instead, they suggest that these ingredients came from meteorites or comets.

“A colleague once told me, ‘It’s a lot easier to build a house out of Legos when they’re falling from the sky,’” said Fred Ciesla, a geophysical sciences professor at UChicago. Ciesla and that colleague, Scott Sandford of the NASA Ames Research Center, published research showing that complex organic compounds were readily produced under conditions that likely prevailed in the early solar system when many meteorites formed.

Meteorites then might have served as the cosmic Mayflowers that transported molecular seeds to Earth. In 1969, the Murchison meteorite that fell in Australia contained dozens of different amino acids—the building blocks of life.

Comets may also have offered a ride to Earth-bound hitchhiking molecules, according to experimental results published in 2001 by a team of researchers from Argonne National Laboratory, the University of California Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. By showing that amino acids could survive a fiery comet collision with Earth, the team bolstered the idea that life’s raw materials came from space.

In 2019, a team of researchers in France and Italy reported finding extraterrestrial organic material preserved in the 3.3 billion-year-old sediments of Barberton, South Africa. The team suggested micrometeorites as the material’s likely source. Further such evidence came in 2022 from samples of asteroid Ryugu returned to Earth by Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission. The count of amino acids found in the Ryugu samples now exceeds 20 different types .

In 1953, UChicago researchers published a landmark paper in the Journal of Biological Chemistry that marked the discovery of the pro-chirality concept , which pervades modern chemistry and biology. The paper described an experiment showing that the chirality of molecules—or “handedness,” much the way the right and left hands differ from one another—drives all life processes. Without chirality, large biological molecules such as proteins would be unable to form structures that could be reproduced.

Today, research on the origin of life at UChicago is expanding. As scientists have been able to find more and more exoplanets—that is, planets around stars elsewhere in the galaxy—the question of what the essential ingredients for life are and how to look for signs of them has heated up.

Nobel laureate Jack Szostak joined the UChicago faculty as University Professor in Chemistry in 2022 and will lead the University’s new interdisciplinary Origins of Life Initiative to coordinate research efforts into the origin of life on Earth. Scientists from several departments of the Physical Sciences Division are joining the initiative, including specialists in chemistry, astronomy, geology and geophysics.

“Right now we are getting truly unprecedented amounts of data coming in: Missions like Hayabusa and OSIRIS-REx are bringing us pieces of asteroids, which helps us understand the conditions that form planets, and NASA’s new JWST telescope is taking astounding data on the solar system and the planets around us ,” said Prof. Ciesla. “I think we’re going to make huge progress on this question.”

Last updated Sept. 19, 2022.

Faculty Experts

Clara Blättler

Fred Ciesla

Jack Szostak

Recommended Stories

Earth could have supported crust, life earlier than thought

Earth’s building blocks formed during the solar system’s first…

Additional Resources

The Origins of Life Speaker Series

Recommended Podcasts

Big Brains podcast: Unraveling the mystery of life’s origins on Earth

Discovering the Missing Link with Neil Shubin (Ep. 1)

More Explainers

Improv, Explained

Cosmic rays, explained

Related Topics

Latest news, big brains podcast: why we die—and how we can live longer.

Winners of the 2024 UChicago Science as Art competition announced

Meet A UChicagoan

Ecologist tracks how insects can devastate forests—and how to stop them

Big Brains podcast

Big Brains podcast: What dogs are teaching us about aging

Where do breakthrough discoveries and ideas come from?

Explore The Day Tomorrow Began

Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity

Course on Afrofuturism brings together UChicago students and community members

Education Lab

National study finds in-school, high-dosage tutoring can reverse pandemic-era learning loss

Around uchicago.

Lecture Series

Author and ‘Odyssey’ translator Daniel Mendelsohn to deliver Berlin Family Lectures beginning April 23

Two uchicago scholars elected as 2023 american association for the advancement ….

2024 Guggenheim Fellowships

Profs. Sianne Ngai and Robyn Schiff honored for their innovative literary work

Convocation

Prof. John List named speaker for UChicago’s 2024 Convocation ceremony

The College

Anna Chlumsky, AB’02, named UChicago’s 2024 Class Day speaker

Biological Sciences Division

“You have to be open minded, planning to reinvent yourself every five to seven years.”

Office of Sustainability

Ways to celebrate Earth Month 2024 at the University of Chicago

Earth's Systems

The five systems of Earth (geosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere) interact to produce the environments we are familiar with.

Biology, Ecology, Earth Science, Climatology, Geology, Oceanography

Great Bear Rainforest

Rainforests, like the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, Canada, show the interaction of Earth's various biospheres.

Photograph by Paul Nicklen

What is the most important part of our planet, the main reason Earth is different from all the other planets in the solar system? If 10 different environmental scientists were asked this question, they would probably give 10 different answers. Each scientist might start with their favorite topic, from plate tectonics to rainforests and beyond. Eventually, however, their collective description would probably touch on all the major features and systems of our home planet. It turns out that no single feature is more significant than the others—each one plays a vital role in the function and sustainability of Earth’s system. There are five main systems, or spheres, on Earth. The first system, the geosphere, consists of the interior and surface of Earth, both of which are made up of rocks. The limited part of the planet that can support living things comprises the second system; these regions are referred to as the biosphere. In the third system are the areas of Earth that are covered with enormous amounts of water, called the hydrosphere. The atmosphere is the fourth system, and it is an envelope of gas that keeps the planet warm and provides oxygen for breathing and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Finally, there is the fifth system, which contains huge quantities of ice at the poles and elsewhere, constituting the cryosphere. All five of these enormous and complex systems interact with one another to maintain the Earth as we know it. When observed from space, one of Earth’s most obvious features is its abundant water. Although liquid water is present around the globe, the vast majority of the water on Earth, a whopping 96.5 percent, is saline (salty) and is not water humans, and most other animals, can drink without processing. All of the liquid water on Earth, both fresh and salt, makes up the hydrosphere, but it is also part of other spheres. For instance, water vapor in the atmosphere is also considered to be part of the hydrosphere. Ice, being frozen water, is part of the hydrosphere, but it is given its own name, the cryosphere. Rivers and lakes may appear to be more common than are glaciers and icebergs, but around three-quarters of all the fresh water on Earth is locked up in the cryosphere. Not only do the Earth systems overlap, they are also interconnected; what affects one can affect another. When a parcel of air in the atmosphere becomes saturated with water, precipitation , such as rain or snow, can fall to Earth’s surface. That precipitation connects the hydrosphere with the geosphere by promoting erosion and weathering , surface processes that slowly break down large rocks into smaller ones. Over time, erosion and weathering change large pieces of rocks—or even mountains—into sediments, like sand or mud. The cryosphere can also be involved in erosion , as large glaciers scour bits of rock from the bedrock beneath them. The geosphere includes all the rocks that make up Earth, from the partially melted rock under the crust, to ancient, towering mountains, to grains of sand on a beach. Both the geosphere and hydrosphere provide the habitat for the biosphere, a global ecosystem that encompasses all the living things on Earth. The biosphere refers to the relatively small part of Earth’s environment in which living things can survive. It contains a wide range of organisms, including fungi, plants, and animals, that live together as a community. Biologists and ecologists refer to this variety of life as biodiversity . All the living things in an environment are called its biotic factors. The biosphere also includes abiotic factors, the nonliving things that organisms require to survive, such as water, air, and light. The atmosphere—a mix of gases, mostly nitrogen and oxygen along with less abundant gases like water vapor, ozone , carbon dioxide, and argon—is also essential to life in the biosphere. Atmospheric gases work together to keep the global temperatures within livable limits, shield the surface of Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, and allow living things to thrive. It is clear that all of Earth’s systems are deeply intertwined, but sometimes this connection can lead to harmful, yet unintended, consequences. One specific example of interaction between all the spheres is human fossil fuel consumption. Deposits of these fuels formed millions of years ago, when plants and animals—all part of the biosphere—died and decayed. At that point, their remains were compressed within Earth to form coal, oil, and natural gas, thus becoming part of the geosphere. Now, humans—members of the biosphere—burn these materials as fuel to release the energy they contain. The combustion byproducts, such as carbon dioxide, end up in the atmosphere. There, they contribute to global warming, changing and stressing the cryosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. The many interactions between Earth’s systems are complex, and they are happening constantly, though their effects are not always obvious. There are some extremely dramatic examples of Earth’s systems interacting, like volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, but there are also slow, nearly undetectable changes that alter ocean chemistry, the content of our atmosphere, and the microbial biodiversity in soil. Each part this planet, from Earth’s inner core to the top of the atmosphere, has a role in making Earth home to billions of lifeforms.

Instructional Links

Media credits.

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Production Managers

Program specialists, last updated.

October 19, 2023

User Permissions

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service .

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

Related Resources

Essay on Earth And Life Science

Students are often asked to write an essay on Earth And Life Science in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Earth And Life Science

What is earth and life science.

Earth and Life Science is a fascinating subject that explores our world and the life within it. It is a blend of two sciences: Earth Science and Life Science. Earth Science studies the Earth’s physical aspects like rocks, oceans, and atmosphere. Life Science, on the other hand, focuses on living organisms, their structure, function, and evolution.

Why Study Earth and Life Science?

Studying Earth and Life Science helps us understand our planet and the life it supports. This knowledge is vital for many reasons. It helps us predict natural disasters, understand climate change, and conserve biodiversity. It also guides us in making informed decisions about resources.

Branches of Earth and Life Science

Earth and Life Science is divided into many branches. In Earth Science, we have geology (study of rocks), meteorology (study of weather), and oceanography (study of oceans). In Life Science, we have biology (study of life), botany (study of plants), and zoology (study of animals).

Role of Earth and Life Science in Daily Life

Earth and Life Science plays a crucial role in our daily life. It helps us predict weather for planning outdoor activities. It aids farmers in understanding soil and climate for better crop production. Moreover, it helps doctors and scientists understand diseases and develop new medicines.

Future of Earth and Life Science

The future of Earth and Life Science is full of exciting possibilities. With advancements in technology, we can explore deeper into the Earth and outer space. We can also develop better ways to protect our environment and conserve biodiversity. It is a field that will continue to grow and evolve.

250 Words Essay on Earth And Life Science

Understanding earth and life science.

Earth and Life Science is a field of study that explores the natural world around us. It focuses on understanding the Earth, its structure, and how life forms interact with their environment.

The Earth’s Structure

The Earth is made up of several layers. The crust is the outermost layer that we live on. Beneath it is the mantle, a hot, flowing layer of rock. The core, at the center of the Earth, is divided into two parts: the outer core, which is liquid, and the inner core, which is solid.

Life Science

Life Science is about understanding living things. It studies how plants, animals, and humans function and interact with the environment. It also explores how life evolved over time, leading to the diversity we see today.

The Connection Between Earth and Life Science

The connection between Earth and Life Science is crucial. The Earth provides the environment for life to exist. The nature of the environment, such as the climate and available resources, influences the type of life that can survive there.

Importance of Earth and Life Science

Studying Earth and Life Science helps us understand our world better. It teaches us about natural events like earthquakes and hurricanes, and about the diversity of life on our planet. This knowledge can help us make informed decisions to protect our planet and its inhabitants.

In conclusion, Earth and Life Science is a fascinating field that explores the intricate relationship between our planet and the life it supports.

500 Words Essay on Earth And Life Science

Earth and Life Science is a fascinating field of study that helps us understand our world and the life forms that live in it. It is a combination of two major sciences. Earth Science studies the Earth, its structure, and how it changes over time. Life Science, on the other hand, focuses on living things, their functions, and their interactions with the environment.

Understanding Earth Science

Earth Science is like a detective story about our planet. It looks at the Earth’s layers, from the deepest core to the outer atmosphere. It investigates how mountains form, why earthquakes happen, and what causes volcanoes to erupt. Scientists in this field also study the weather and climate patterns to predict future conditions.

Exploring Life Science

Life Science is all about studying living things. It includes everything from tiny bacteria to large elephants, from simple plants to complex human beings. Scientists in this field try to understand how these organisms live, grow, and interact with their surroundings. They study topics like genetics, evolution, and ecosystems.

How are Earth and Life Science Connected?

Earth and Life Science are closely connected. The Earth provides the environment where life exists. For example, the water cycle studied in Earth Science is essential for all life forms. Likewise, the atmosphere that Earth Science studies protects us from harmful solar radiation and helps maintain the right conditions for life.

In return, living things also affect the Earth. For instance, plants help create oxygen and reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which impacts the Earth’s climate.

Why is Earth and Life Science Important?

Studying Earth and Life Science is important for many reasons. It helps us understand how our planet works and how we can protect it. It teaches us about the diversity of life and how all living things are connected. It also helps us make informed decisions about important issues like climate change, conservation, and public health.

Earth and Life Science in Everyday Life

Even if we don’t realize it, Earth and Life Science are part of our everyday life. When we check the weather forecast, we are using data from Earth Science. When we take medicine to fight off an illness, we are applying knowledge from Life Science.

In conclusion, Earth and Life Science are fascinating fields that help us understand our world and the life it supports. They are also incredibly important, influencing many aspects of our daily lives and helping us make informed decisions about our future.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on E Learning
• Essay on E Commerce Boon Or Bane
• Essay on E Commerce

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Earth and Life Science

Related papers.

John Paul Esplana

I couldnt find the owner but hope you like it. I just dragged this file from this pc XD

Simone Schleper

Florence Lasalita-zapico

Dr sarvesh Tiwari

Introduction The scientific endeavor and human curiosity have been deliberated on the questions regarding the origins and the nature of the Earth for centuries. Over the past couple of decades, scientists have made great leap on the understanding of earth's operation as the transformation of Earth science has continued and due to the major improvement in technology. " Origin and Evolution of Earth: Research Questions for a Changing Planet " was edited by the Committee on ten Grand Research Questions in the Solid-Earth Sciences, National Research Council in 2008, which is a biological, chemical and geological science book. This book aims to unmask, and capture the capacity and ambitions of the questions on planetary and geological science, it discusses plenty grand questions in the area, such as the origin of earth, and shows the challenges faced by scientists at the beginning of the 21 st century that led to the frontier of earth science. The book described ten " big picture " on Earth science, the questions show genuine challenges and may not be fully understand for decades, the answers to those fundamental questions would help to improve understanding of the planet Earth and even stimulate new strategies for managing the environment. Summary of contents There are 10 research questions in the book, the questions are grouped into four chapters. The questions reflect what is important issues in the scope of geological and planetary science. In Chapter 1 'Origins' talks about the questions on How did Earth and other planets form, what happened during Earth's 'dark age' and how did life begin. The first question is about the origin of the solar system. This question is especially crucial for the further exploring of the space, it is important for scientists to discover the origins and the evolution of life; hence help us to understand the causes that lead to major differences between planets in solar systems, for example, to understand why earth is the only planet among all in the solar system to have sufficient liquid water at the planet surface for the support of lives on it. This research question will help scientist to come to an understanding on the mysterious origins of earth and solar system. The second question about the Earth's dark age is highly considerable on the research of the Earth's evolution for investigators, as what used to happen during the dark age may have major influence on the change of Earth later in times. While the information on that period is little, more researches is needed to be conducted to accelerate the research on the topic. The last question in this chapter asks about the origin of life, which is one of the most challenging and deepest questions of all time in science It is important to learn the root of life so that we can predict the further evolution of human in the future, the question also impels scientists to investigate on the relationship of the Earth and the evolution of life. For Chapter 2 'Earth's interior'', it discuss about more significant questions, which are: " " How does Earth's interior work and how does it affect the surface, why does Earth have plate tectonics and continents and how are Earth processes controlled by material properties. " The first question enquires the operation of the Earth's interior, which is about the volcano movement and its influence on the surface of the planet, such as how the volcano movement leads to formation of landscape. Also to observe the transformation of the surface condition. The question aims to dissect the Earth and have better understanding on its exterior and interior. Another question inquires the distribution of the plates and continental-crust, which has a lot to do with the existence and persistence of life since it makes a habitat for non-marine life. The third question is to investigate the physics and chemistry of material that compose the Earth in order to conduct further study on the Earth's history so as to predict the changes in the future.

Dandy Jim Gan

Danny M Vaughn, Ph.D., CMS

Does our species possess a conscience awareness, curiosity, desire, sensitivity, appreciation, and value to capture the beauty of life in its organic and inorganic configurations as a true measure of what surrounds us as every day phenomena? Too many of our species these days seem to be preoccupied with arguing one’s ideology as a means of control and domination which in the context of the planet’s evolution will be yet another occurrence of an organism that came and left in the blink of time.

Journal of Ethnopharmacology

Domingo Madulid

Herbert Tushabe

Evangeline Panganiban

RELATED PAPERS

Carla Chuquimia Ramírez

Revista Brasileira De Biociencias

Daniela Cassol

Stephan Grohs

Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte

Rosmeri Porfirio da Rocha

Oxford Symposium on Religious Studies, Oxford

Arzu Eylul Yalcinkaya

Kuchi Kuchi

International Journal of Technology

Andre Kurniawan

Esteban Santillan

Visão Acadêmica

Claudia Helena Degaspari

Journal of the Neurological Sciences

Sinem Yazici

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

Burkhard Monien

Mk Pancasila

Yurike bala

Proceedings of the Third Linguistic Annotation Workshop on - ACL-IJCNLP '09

BMC Pulmonary Medicine

Somwe Wa Somwe

IL "PRINCIPIO DI NON CONTRADDIZIONE" NELLA FORMA GIURIDICA DELLE SCRIMINANTI NELL'ATTIVITÀ MEDICO-PSICHIATRICA: LA RESPONSABILITÀ PENALE DELLO PSICHIATRA

Cecilia De Luca

Journal of Biometrics & Biostatistics

David Ajayi

revistapuce

Verónica Maldonado Garcés

Biogeochemistry

Robert Farrell

Proceedings of the 9th ACM Conference on Embedded Networked Sensor Systems

Applied Physics Letters

Jorge Juan Santiago-Aviles

Cancer Letters

Herbert Pinedo

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

Ramesh Prof Chandra

chuol gatkuoth bidit

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

• Planet Earth
• Strange News

What Is Earth And Life Science All About

Difference Between Life Science and Physical Science (With Table) . Both the term life science and physical science help understand that many different kinds of things exist on the earth, and it could be both living and nonliving. Life science is a wide subject ranging from the smallest DNA, the nucleic acid, to the largest trees found on our earth. The difference between life science and physical science is that life science is studying living organisms, which includes humans, plants, animals, and microorganisms. Physical science is the study of natural yet inanimate objects, including physics, chemistry, astronomy, and earth science. Life science means the study of life and all its forms from past to present. As the name includes, life means that it is the study of all life, including animals, viruses, bacteria, cells, single-celled organisms, and plants. It is a study of the biology of the living organism how they live. There is also a group of specialists who do this study, and they are known as biology. Physical science is a study of a nonliving thing, but few biological processes are also involved so that it can be explained fully.

Earth And Life Sciences Trivia Quiz!

What are earth and life sciences? Could you take this quiz which pertains to both sciences? Earth and life science present the planet’s history through geological time, and it talks about the earth’s structure, composition, and processes. The four main branches of Earth science include geology, oceanography, meteorology, and astronomy. Studying these four earth sciences helps scientists understand our planet. If your ambition is to learn more about the earth and life sciences, look no further than this quiz.

Video advice: EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE Quarter 2 Lesson 1: Introduction to Life Science

This module will introduce the evidences of the past which will include the people who worked on theories and made some discoveries out of their works and studies. This is aimed at introducing the historical development of the concept of life and the origin of the first life forms with unifying themes in the study of life. You will be able to know also the origin of the universe and earth through scientific explanation that provides evidences.

Video advice: EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE, QUARTER 2 / MODULE-1, INTRODUCTION TO LIFE SCIENCE

Earth and Life Science, Quarter 2/Module-1

Video advice: THE PLANET EARTH

This is a supplemental video made for Grade 11 – Earth and Life Science subject. Contents are anchored on the Most Essential Learning Competency (MELC) of Earth and Life Science – Week 1 and are aligned to the module designed by the subject teacher.

What is the importance of earth and life science?

The knowledge gained and the services provided by earth scientists help society cope with its environment in many ways. Their knowledge about the structure, stratigraphy, and chemical composition of the earth's crust helps us locate resources that sustain and advance our quality of life.

What is the difference between earth and life science?

Earth science is the study of the Earth and the physical components that make it up: the constitution of the atmosphere, the seas, the land, and how those things are tied together. ... Life science is the study of living organisms, including microorganisms, plants, animals and human beings.

Is life science and science the same thing?

In Biology, we learn about the life, the Origin of life, evolution, different scientists, diseases, organisms and many other aspects related to life on planet earth....Biology Vs Life Science – The Major Difference.

What are the main concepts that make up the study of earth science?

Earth science is made of many branches of knowledge concerning all aspects of the Earth system. The main branches are geology, meteorology, climatology, oceanography, and environmental science . Astronomy uses principles understood from Earth to learn about the solar system, galaxy, and universe.

What is earth science all about essay?

Earth science is the “exploration and the interconnections between the land, ocean, atmosphere, and life of our planet .” These include matters, rocks and minerals, energy and other materials such as the continental drift, plate tectonics, water and erosion, which “continuously shape, influence, and sustain the Earth ...

Related Articles:

• How Does Earth’S Rotation Affect Life On Earth
• When Life First Appeared On Earth
• When Did Plant Life Appear On Earth
• How Did Cyanobacteria Change Life On Earth
• How Does The Atmosphere Protect Life On Earth
• How Does Biodiversity Help Sustain Life On Earth

Science Journalist

Science atlas, our goal is to spark the curiosity that exists in all of us. We invite readers to visit us daily, explore topics of interest, and gain new perspectives along the way.

You may also like

How Does The Second Law Of Thermodynamics Disprove Evolution

What Is A Innovation Specialist At Basf

How Much Does A Robotics Company Cost

Add comment, cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent discoveries

How Is Music Related To Physics

A Geography Of Digestion Biotechnology And The Kellogg Cereal Enterprise

Which Is Better Biology Or Biotechnology

How To Finish A Dirt Crawl Space

• Animals 3041
• Astronomy 8
• Biology 2281
• Chemistry 482
• Culture 1333
• Health 8466
• History 2152
• Physics 913
• Planet Earth 3239
• Science 2158
• Strange News 1230
• Technology 3625

Random fact

Photo of Iceberg that Sank Titanic for Purchase: Could It Be Real?

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

• School Education /

Essay on Earth: Check Samples for 100, 300 Words

• Updated on  
• Sep 27, 2023

Essay on Earth: Earth, our cherished celestial abode, is a marvel of the cosmos. It teems with life, boasts breathtaking landscapes, and endures the test of time. In this blog, we embark on a journey to explore the myriad facets of our planet, from its geological mysteries to the pressing challenges of preserving its ecological harmony.

Table of Contents

• 1 Earth’s Geological History
• 2 Earth’s Climate
• 3 Preserving Earth’s Sustainability
• 4 Sample Essay On Earth In 100 Words
• 5 Sample Essay On Earth In 300 Words

Earth’s Geological History

Earth’s geological history spans eons, an epic tale told through rocks, fossils, and continents. It begins with the formation of our planet over 4.5 billion years ago, a violent birth amidst cosmic chaos. For billions of years, Earth underwent tumultuous transformations, from the fiery hell of its early years to the emergence of oceans and continents. 

Over time, life took root, evolving from simple organisms into the diverse array we know today. Plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions, and meteor impacts further shaped our world. Understanding Earth’s geological history not only unveils its past but also offers insights into its future and the importance of conservation.

Must Read: Essay On Waste Management

Earth’s Climate

Earth’s climate is a complex interplay of atmospheric and oceanic dynamics that determine its weather patterns and long-term conditions. It encompasses a delicate balance of temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric composition, shaping the environments where life thrives. However, this equilibrium is now disrupted by human-induced climate change.

Human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, trapping heat and causing global temperatures to rise. This shift is causing extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and disrupting ecosystems worldwide. Addressing this climate crisis is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, requiring collective action to mitigate its impacts.

Preserving Earth’s Sustainability

Sustainability on Earth is the pivotal concept guiding our actions toward a harmonious coexistence with the planet. It revolves around responsible resource management, reducing waste, and respecting ecological limits. Sustainable practices encompass clean energy, conservation of biodiversity, and equitable access to resources, ensuring a resilient future.

Achieving sustainability is paramount in mitigating environmental crises, such as climate change and habitat loss. It demands global cooperation, conscious consumer choices, and innovative solutions. By embracing sustainability, we safeguard Earth’s precious ecosystems, secure resources for future generations, and preserve the beauty and diversity of our irreplaceable home.

Sample Essay On Earth In 100 Words

Earth, our celestial home, is a testament to the grandeur of the cosmos. For over 4.5 billion years, it has nurtured life, from the simplest organisms to the diverse tapestry we witness today. Earth’s geological history reveals eons of transformation, while its climate sustains ecosystems across continents. However, our planet faces unprecedented challenges. Human actions, from pollution to deforestation, imperil the delicate balance of nature. The climate crisis threatens ecosystems and communities. Yet, Earth’s resilience offers hope. Through conservation, sustainable practices, and global cooperation, we can safeguard this precious orb, ensuring its enduring beauty for generations to come.

Must Read: Essay On Save Water 

Sample Essay On Earth In 300 Words

Earth, our celestial abode, stands as a testament to the sublime beauty and intricate complexity of the cosmos. One of Earth’s most captivating aspects is its geological history, a narrative etched in the layers of rock, sediment, and fossils. From its tumultuous birth in a maelstrom of cosmic debris, our planet has evolved through epochs of geological transformation. Continents have shifted, mountain ranges have risen and eroded, and life has thrived and adapted. Exploring Earth’s geological history is like reading a captivating story, revealing the secrets of its past and the forces that have shaped its present landscapes.

Yet, Earth’s allure extends far beyond its geological marvels. Its climate, a symphony of atmospheric and oceanic interactions, creates diverse ecosystems that span the globe. From the lush rainforests of the Amazon to the stark beauty of polar ice caps, Earth’s climate has sculpted environments that support a dazzling array of life forms. The rhythm of seasons, the dance of wind and water, and the harmony of predator and prey are all part of this intricate tapestry.

However, as we celebrate Earth’s wonders, we must also confront the pressing challenges it faces today. Human activities, driven by industry and consumption, have led to environmental degradation on an unprecedented scale. Pollution chokes our air and water, while deforestation and habitat loss threaten countless species. Perhaps the most urgent challenge is the spectre of climate change, driven by the relentless emission of greenhouse gases. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and melting ice caps are stark reminders of the consequences.

Yet, in the face of these challenges, Earth displays its resilience. It offers hope that, through collective effort, we can restore the balance that sustains life. Conservation, sustainable practices, and international cooperation are the tools we possess to safeguard our cherished home. In conclusion, Earth is a treasure trove of geological wonders and ecological diversity.

Earth is called a “blue planet” because its surface is 70% water, giving it a predominantly blue appearance when seen from space.

Earth’s resources are depleting due to overexploitation, pollution, and unsustainable practices, threatening ecosystems, freshwater, minerals, and fossil fuels.

Write about Earth’s beauty, biodiversity, ecological balance, human impact, and the urgent need for conservation and sustainable practices.

We hope this blog gave you an idea about how to write and present an essay on Earth that puts forth your opinions. The skill of writing an essay comes in handy when appearing for standardized language tests. Thinking of taking one soon? Leverage Edu provides the best online test prep for the same via Leverage Live . Register today to know more!

Amisha Khushara

Hey there! I'm a content writer who turns complex ideas into clear, engaging stories. Think of me as your translator, taking expert knowledge and making it interesting and relatable for everyone.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Connect With Us

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today.

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

Don't Miss Out

American Geosciences Institute

Earth science benefits everyone.

Our lives and civilization depend upon how we understand and manage our planet—Earth processes affect us all. Weather patterns influence the availability of water resources and the potential for forest fires; Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, and floods can kill large numbers of people and cause millions or even billions of dollars in property damage.

Just as Earth systems directly affect each of us, we – as individuals, communities and nations—affect our planet. Expanding technologies and growing populations increase demand on natural resources. As we extract and use these resources, we have an impact on Earth today, which will in turn affect those who come after us. To enhance our stewardship of the environment, we must proceed into the future with a sound understanding of Earth systems.        

Earth science knowledge enables us to think globally and act locally— to make sound decisions about issues important in our lives as individuals and citizens. People who understand how Earth systems work can make informed decisions about where to buy or build a home out of harm’s way. They can debate and resolve issues surrounding clean water, urban planning and development, national security, global climate change, and the use and management of natural resources.

An informed society, conscious of our complex relationships with our planet, recognizes the importance of and insists on Earth science education at all grade levels— elementary, secondary, and adult education. When we emphasize Earth science education, everyone benefits.

• Board of Directors
• AGI Connections Newsletter
• Nominations
• News and Announcements
• Membership Benefits
• Strategic Plan
• Annual Report
• Member Societies
• Member Society Council
• International Associates
• Trade Associates
• Academic Associates
• Regional Associates
• Liaison Organizations
• Community Documents
• Geoscience Calendar
• Center for Geoscience & Society
• Education & Outreach
• Diversity Activities
• Policy & Critical Issues
• Scholarly Information
• Geoscience Profession
• Earth Science Week
• Publication Store
• Glossary of Geology
• Earth Science Week Toolkit
• I'm a Geoscientist
• Free Geoscience Resources
• AGI Connections
• Be a Visiting Geoscientist
• Use Our Workspace

Essay on Earth

500 words essay on earth.

The earth is the planet that we live on and it is the fifth-largest planet. It is positioned in third place from the Sun. This essay on earth will help you learn all about it in detail. Our earth is the only planet that can sustain humans and other living species. The vital substances such as air, water, and land make it possible.

All About Essay on Earth

The rocks make up the earth that has been around for billions of years. Similarly, water also makes up the earth. In fact, water covers 70% of the surface. It includes the oceans that you see, the rivers, the sea and more.

Thus, the remaining 30% is covered with land. The earth moves around the sun in an orbit and takes around 364 days plus 6 hours to complete one round around it. Thus, we refer to it as a year.

Just like revolution, the earth also rotates on its axis within 24 hours that we refer to as a solar day. When rotation is happening, some of the places on the planet face the sun while the others hide from it.

As a result, we get day and night. There are three layers on the earth which we know as the core, mantle and crust. The core is the centre of the earth that is usually very hot. Further, we have the crust that is the outer layer. Finally, between the core and crust, we have the mantle i.e. the middle part.

The layer that we live on is the outer one with the rocks. Earth is home to not just humans but millions of other plants and species. The water and air on the earth make it possible for life to sustain. As the earth is the only livable planet, we must protect it at all costs.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

There is No Planet B

The human impact on the planet earth is very dangerous. Through this essay on earth, we wish to make people aware of protecting the earth. There is no balance with nature as human activities are hampering the earth.

Needless to say, we are responsible for the climate crisis that is happening right now. Climate change is getting worse and we need to start getting serious about it. It has a direct impact on our food, air, education, water, and more.

The rising temperature and natural disasters are clear warning signs. Therefore, we need to come together to save the earth and leave a better planet for our future generations.

Being ignorant is not an option anymore. We must spread awareness about the crisis and take preventive measures to protect the earth. We must all plant more trees and avoid using non-biodegradable products.

Further, it is vital to choose sustainable options and use reusable alternatives. We must save the earth to save our future. There is no Planet B and we must start acting like it accordingly.

Conclusion of Essay on Earth

All in all, we must work together to plant more trees and avoid using plastic. It is also important to limit the use of non-renewable resources to give our future generations a better planet.

FAQ on Essay on Earth

Question 1: What is the earth for kids?

Answer 1: Earth is the third farthest planet from the sun. It is bright and bluish in appearance when we see it from outer space. Water covers 70% of the earth while land covers 30%. Moreover, the earth is the only planet that can sustain life.

Question 2: How can we protect the earth?

Answer 2: We can protect the earth by limiting the use of non-renewable resources. Further, we must not waste water and avoid using plastic.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences, Second Edition (1999)

Chapter: the origin of the universe, earth, and life, the origin of the universe, earth, and life.

The term "evolution" usually refers to the biological evolution of living things. But the processes by which planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe form and change over time are also types of "evolution." In all of these cases there is change over time, although the processes involved are quite different.

In the late 1920s the American astronomer Edwin Hubble made a very interesting and important discovery. Hubble made observations that he interpreted as showing that distant stars and galaxies are receding from Earth in every direction. Moreover, the velocities of recession increase in proportion with distance, a discovery that has been confirmed by numerous and repeated measurements since Hubble's time. The implication of these findings is that the universe is expanding.

Hubble's hypothesis of an expanding universe leads to certain deductions. One is that the universe was more condensed at a previous time. From this deduction came the suggestion that all the currently observed matter and energy in the universe were initially condensed in a very small and infinitely hot mass. A huge explosion, known as the Big Bang, then sent matter and energy expanding in all directions.

This Big Bang hypothesis led to more testable deductions. One such deduction was that the temperature in deep space today should be several degrees above absolute zero. Observations showed this deduction to be correct. In fact, the Cosmic Microwave Background Explorer (COBE) satellite launched in 1991 confirmed that the background radiation field has exactly the spectrum predicted by a Big Bang origin for the universe.

As the universe expanded, according to current scientific understanding, matter collected into clouds that began to condense and rotate, forming the forerunners of galaxies. Within galaxies, including our own Milky Way galaxy, changes in pressure caused gas and dust to form distinct clouds. In some of these clouds, where there was sufficient mass and the right forces, gravitational attraction caused the cloud to collapse. If the mass of material in the cloud was sufficiently compressed, nuclear reactions began and a star was born.

Some proportion of stars, including our sun, formed in the middle of a flattened spinning disk of material. In the case of our sun, the gas and dust within this disk collided and aggregated into small grains, and the grains formed into larger bodies called planetesimals ("very small planets"), some of which reached diameters of several hundred kilometers. In successive stages these planetesimals coalesced into the nine planets and their numerous satellites. The rocky planets, including Earth, were near the sun, and the gaseous planets were in more distant orbits.

The ages of the universe, our galaxy, the solar system, and Earth can be estimated using modem scientific methods. The age of the universe can be derived from the observed relationship between the velocities of and the distances separating the galaxies. The velocities of distant galaxies can be measured very accurately, but the measurement of distances is more uncertain. Over the past few decades, measurements of the Hubble expansion have led to estimated ages for the universe of between 7 billion and 20 billion years, with the most recent and best measurements within the range of 10 billion to 15 billion years.

A disk of dust and gas, appearing as a dark band in this Hubble Space Telescope photograph, bisects a glowing nebula around a very young star in the constellation Taurus. Similar disks can be seen around other nearby stars and are thought to provide the raw material for planets.

The age of the Milky Way galaxy has been calculated in two ways. One involves studying the observed stages of evolution of different-sized stars in globular clusters. Globular clusters occur in a faint halo surrounding the center of the Galaxy, with each cluster containing from a hundred thousand to a million stars. The very low amounts of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium in these stars indicate that they must have formed early in the history of the Galaxy, before large amounts of heavy elements were created inside the initial generations of stars and later distributed into the interstellar medium through supernova explosions (the Big Bang itself created primarily hydrogen and helium atoms). Estimates of the ages of the stars in globular clusters fall within the range of 11 billion to 16 billion years.

A second method for estimating the age of our galaxy is based on the present abundances of several long-lived radioactive elements in the solar system. Their abundances are set by their rates of production and distribution through exploding

supernovas. According to these calculations, the age of our galaxy is between 9 billion and 16 billion years. Thus, both ways of estimating the age of the Milky Way galaxy agree with each other, and they also are consistent with the independently derived estimate for the age of the universe.

Radioactive elements occurring naturally in rocks and minerals also provide a means of estimating the age of the solar system and Earth. Several of these elements decay with half lives between 700 million and more than 100 billion years (the half life of an element is the time it takes for half of the element to decay radioactively into another element). Using these time-keepers, it is calculated that meteorites, which are fragments of asteroids, formed between 4.53 billion and 4.58 billion years ago (asteroids are small "planetoids" that revolve around the sun and are remnants of the solar nebula that gave rise to the sun and planets). The same radioactive time-keepers applied to the three oldest lunar samples returned to Earth by the Apollo astronauts yield ages between 4.4 billion and 4.5 billion years, providing minimum estimates for the time since the formation of the moon.

The oldest known rocks on Earth occur in northwestern Canada (3.96 billion years), but well-studied rocks nearly as old are also found in other parts of the world. In Western Australia, zircon crystals encased within younger rocks have ages as old as 4.3 billion years, making these tiny crystals the oldest materials so far found on Earth.

The best estimates of Earth's age are obtained by calculating the time required for development of the observed lead isotopes in Earth's oldest lead ores. These estimates yield 4.54 billion years as the age of Earth and of meteorites, and hence of the solar system.

The origins of life cannot be dated as precisely, but there is evidence that bacteria-like organisms lived on Earth 3.5 billion years ago, and they may have existed even earlier, when the first solid crust formed, almost 4 billion years ago. These early organisms must have been simpler than the organisms living today. Furthermore, before the earliest organisms there must have been structures that one would not call "alive" but that are now components of living things. Today, all living organisms store and transmit hereditary information using two kinds of molecules: DNA and RNA. Each of these molecules is in turn composed of four kinds of subunits known as nucleotides. The sequences of nucleotides in particular lengths of DNA or RNA, known as genes, direct the construction of molecules known as proteins, which in turn catalyze biochemical reactions, provide structural components for organisms, and perform many of the other functions on which life depends. Proteins consist of chains of subunits known as amino acids. The sequence of nucleotides in DNA and RNA therefore determines the sequence of amino acids in proteins; this is a central mechanism in all of biology.

Experiments conducted under conditions intended to resemble those present on primitive Earth have resulted in the production of some of the chemical components of proteins, DNA, and RNA. Some of these molecules also have been detected in meteorites from outer space and in interstellar space by astronomers using radio-telescopes. Scientists have concluded that the "building blocks of life" could have been available early in Earth's history.

An important new research avenue has opened with the discovery that certain molecules made of RNA, called ribozymes, can act as catalysts in modem cells. It previously had been thought that only proteins could serve as the catalysts required to carry out specific biochemical functions. Thus, in the early prebiotic world, RNA molecules could have been "autocatalytic"—that is, they could have replicated themselves well before there were any protein catalysts (called enzymes).

Laboratory experiments demonstrate that replicating autocatalytic RNA molecules undergo spontaneous changes and that the variants of RNA molecules with the greatest autocatalytic activity come to prevail in their environments. Some scientists favor the hypothesis that there was an early "RNA world," and they are testing models that lead from RNA to the synthesis of simple DNA and protein molecules. These assemblages of molecules eventually could have become packaged within membranes, thus making up "protocells"—early versions of very simple cells.

For those who are studying the origin of life, the question is no longer whether life could have originated by chemical processes involving nonbiological components. The question instead has become which of many pathways might have been followed to produce the first cells.

Will we ever be able to identify the path of chemical evolution that succeeded in initiating life on Earth? Scientists are designing experiments and speculating about how early Earth could have provided a hospitable site for the segregation of

molecules in units that might have been the first living systems. The recent speculation includes the possibility that the first living cells might have arisen on Mars, seeding Earth via the many meteorites that are known to travel from Mars to our planet.

Of course, even if a living cell were to be made in the laboratory, it would not prove that nature followed the same pathway billions of years ago. But it is the job of science to provide plausible natural explanations for natural phenomena. The study of the origin of life is a very active research area in which important progress is being made, although the consensus among scientists is that none of the current hypotheses has thus far been confirmed. The history of science shows that seemingly intractable problems like this one may become amenable to solution later, as a result of advances in theory, instrumentation, or the discovery of new facts.

Creationist Views of the Origin of the Universe, Earth, and Life

Many religious persons, including many scientists, hold that God created the universe and the various processes driving physical and biological evolution and that these processes then resulted in the creation of galaxies, our solar system, and life on Earth. This belief, which sometimes is termed "theistic evolution," is not in disagreement with scientific explanations of evolution. Indeed, it reflects the remarkable and inspiring character of the physical universe revealed by cosmology, paleontology, molecular biology, and many other scientific disciplines.

The advocates of "creation science" hold a variety of viewpoints. Some claim that Earth and the universe are relatively young, perhaps only 6,000 to 10,000 years old. These individuals often believe that the present physical form of Earth can be explained by "catastrophism," including a worldwide flood, and that all living things (including humans) were created miraculously, essentially in the forms we now find them.

Other advocates of creation science are willing to accept that Earth, the planets, and the stars may have existed for millions of years. But they argue that the various types of organisms, and especially humans, could only have come about with supernatural intervention, because they show "intelligent design."

In this booklet, both these "Young Earth" and "Old Earth" views are referred to as "creationism" or "special creation."

There are no valid scientific data or calculations to substantiate the belief that Earth was created just a few thousand years ago. This document has summarized the vast amount of evidence for the great age of the universe, our galaxy, the solar system, and Earth from astronomy, astrophysics, nuclear physics, geology, geochemistry, and geophysics. Independent scientific methods consistently give an age for Earth and the solar system of about 5 billion years, and an age for our galaxy and the universe that is two to three times greater. These conclusions make the origin of the universe as a whole intelligible, lend coherence to many different branches of science, and form the core conclusions of a remarkable body of knowledge about the origins and behavior of the physical world.

Nor is there any evidence that the entire geological record, with its orderly succession of fossils, is the product of a single universal flood that occurred a few thousand years ago, lasted a little longer than a year, and covered the highest mountains to a depth of several meters. On the contrary, intertidal and terrestrial deposits demonstrate that at no recorded time in the past has the entire planet been under water. Moreover, a universal flood of sufficient magnitude to form the sedimentary rocks seen today, which together are many kilometers thick, would require a volume of water far greater than has ever existed on and in Earth, at least since the formation of the first known solid crust about 4 billion years ago. The belief that Earth's sediments, with their fossils, were deposited in an orderly sequence in a year's time defies all geological observations and physical principles concerning sedimentation rates and possible quantities of suspended solid matter.

Geologists have constructed a detailed history of sediment deposition that links particular bodies of rock in the crust of Earth to particular environments and processes. If petroleum geologists could find more oil and gas by interpreting the record of sedimentary rocks as having resulted from a single flood, they would certainly favor the idea of such a flood, but they do not. Instead, these practical workers agree with academic geologists about the nature of depositional environments and geological time. Petroleum geologists have been pioneers in the recognition of fossil deposits that were formed over millions of years in such environments as meandering rivers, deltas, sandy barrier beaches, and coral reefs.

The example of petroleum geology demonstrates one of the great strengths of science. By using knowledge of the natural world to predict the consequences of our actions, science makes it possible to solve problems and create opportunities using technology. The detailed knowledge required to sustain our civilization could only have been derived through scientific investigation.

The arguments of creationists are not driven by evidence that can be observed in the natural world. Special creation or supernatural intervention is not subjectable to meaningful tests, which require predicting plausible results and then checking these results through observation and experimentation. Indeed, claims of "special creation" reverse the scientific process. The explanation is seen as unalterable, and evidence is sought only to support a particular conclusion by whatever means possible.

While the mechanisms of evolution are still under investigation, scientists universally accept that the cosmos, our planet, and life evolved and continue to evolve. Yet the teaching of evolution to schoolchildren is still contentious.

In Science and Creationism , The National Academy of Sciences states unequivocally that creationism has no place in any science curriculum at any level.

Briefly and clearly, this booklet explores the nature of science, reviews the evidence for the origin of the universe and earth, and explains the current scientific understanding of biological evolution. This edition includes new insights from astronomy and molecular biology.

Attractive in presentation and authoritative in content, Science and Creationism will be useful to anyone concerned about America's scientific literacy: education policymakers, school boards and administrators, curriculum designers, librarians, teachers, parents, and students.

READ FREE ONLINE

Welcome to OpenBook!

You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

Show this book's table of contents , where you can jump to any chapter by name.

...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

Switch between the Original Pages , where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter .

Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

View our suggested citation for this chapter.

Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

Get Email Updates

Do you enjoy reading reports from the Academies online for free ? Sign up for email notifications and we'll let you know about new publications in your areas of interest when they're released.

How did life on Earth begin? Cracks may have been the key.

In a groundbreaking experiment in the early 1950s, a scientist tried to re-create the conditions of early Earth in a test tube.

Stanley Miller added a few simple ingredients thought to be swirling in the young planet’s atmosphere and oceans to interconnected flasks, applied heat and zapped them with electricity to simulate lightning. The findings quickly became famous: Out of this primordial soup emerged amino acids, the chemical building blocks of life.

The discovery kick-started a quest within chemistry and biology to devise experiments that could help answer one of the biggest scientific questions facing humanity: How did life on Earth begin?

Now, scientists at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich have taken an exciting step forward by showing how more complex molecules crucial for life could have been synthesized from early Earth’s basic ingredients.

In their study, published in the journal Nature , the scientists swapped test tubes for tiny networks of branching cracks that resemble those that naturally form in rocks. They flowed water through the cracks, along with key chemical building blocks, then applied heat, mimicking a process akin to what might happen near hydrothermal vents in the ocean or in porous rocks near a geothermal pool.

They discovered that the heat flowing across these geologic networks sorted and filtered molecules, helping them create longer chains called biopolymers that are essential for life.

“It’s a fantastic demonstration that simple physical processes can work to do this stuff,” said Matthew Pasek, a geoscience professor at the University of South Florida who was not involved in the research.

A dilute primordial soup

Because the question of how life began is so big, it transcends the traditional boundaries that carve science into different disciplines. Chemists, biologists, astrophysicists and geologists all have a seat at the table when trying to answer the question.

Bridging those boundaries is what interested Christof Mast, a biophysicist at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, whose lab designed an experimental setup that would be somewhat closer to the conditions where the “prebiotic chemistry” that gave rise to life took place.

For decades, scientists have wrestled with the problem that early Earth wasn’t a pristine laboratory, with beakers, impeccably timed purification steps and concentrated stocks of ingredients. It’s one thing to re-create the chemistry of life in a lab , but experiments that are doable in a flask may be improbable at best under messy real-world conditions.

“You can think of the prebiotic Earth, this prebiotic soup, that is highly dilute, and all these different things react in a very uncontrolled way,” Mast said.

One of the problems to date is that chemical reactions in the lab often result in side products that can start their own unwanted reactions, leaving scientists with only tiny amounts of the key material. So how did early Earth brew up enough of these building blocks for life to eventually blaze into existence?

To try to figure that out, the researchers cut branching networks of interconnected cracks into a tiny piece of an inert Teflon-like substance called FEP and sandwiched it between two sapphire plates. The sapphires were brought to precise but different temperatures to create heat flux through the geologic network between them, mimicking the way that heat probably flowed on early Earth — perhaps near volcanoes or hydrothermal vents. Then, they flowed water and basic chemical building blocks through the crack network and observed what happened.

In one proof-of-concept experiment, they used glycine, the simplest amino acid, along with a substance called TMP that can react to link two glycine molecules.

Such reactions are difficult in water, Mast said, and TMP was very rare on early Earth. When they just mixed those ingredients together in a beaker, or in geologic cracks without heat, the amount of the more complex biopolymer they created was “vanishingly small,” the researchers reported.

But when they applied a heat gradient to the cracks, it massively increased the production of the biopolymer. That’s significant because while amino acids are important, they are still far from life. Those same basic building blocks have been found on lifeless meteorites , for example.

“In order to get things the next level up, you have to start making the polymers — that’s a fundamental step in making the next realm of life,” Pasek said.

Don’t forget about the pot

The setup can’t weigh in on the ultimate question about how life began: Was it in a pond, as might have existed on Earth’s surface, or near a hydrothermal vent akin to the ones found deep in the ocean? Heat flux across rock could occur in a multitude of geologic settings, Mast said, and were probably “ubiquitous” on early Earth.

But the experimental setup can be used to test other questions about early chemistry on the planet. Mast is hoping to next create a network of cracks out of geologic materials, and to build larger networks of connected chambers.

The study is yet another reminder that elegant chemistry experiments can ignore a fundamental part of the primordial soup: the pot.

In 2021, a team of scientists found that in the famous 1950s experiment, the test tube itself — or rather, the borosilicate glass that it was made of — played a role in the results.

When those scientists repeated the experiment in a glass flask, a Teflon flask, and then in a Teflon flask with a bit of borosilicate glass, they found that the glass was a critical ingredient in catalyzing the reactions.

“In other words, for cooking the ‘primordial soup,’ the casserole is important,” Juan Manuel García-Ruiz, a research professor at the Donostia International Physics Center in Spain who was involved in the experiment , wrote in an email. He praised the new work for its imaginative approach and, perhaps most importantly, for being “geologically plausible.”

“It may not be the only mechanism, but it works and is ingenious, and above all, it is an experimental demonstration,” García-Ruiz said. “I think that we need more experimental approaches to explore the geochemical context of the planet when life was born.”

An Informative Essay on Life on Earth In 150 Words

The planet Earth is the only home that we have. Many people have different opinions on what makes life worth living, but with so much to talk about, it can be hard to separate truth from fiction. What do you think makes life worth living?

Table of Contents

Importance Life On Earth Essay For Students

What is life on earth, an overview of life on earth.

Life on Earth is a beautiful and amazing phenomenon. From the first moment of existence, organisms have been striving to survive, grow, and thrive. This endless cycle of growth and development has led to the magnificent life we see today on our planet.

The diversity of life on Earth is simply astounding. From single-celled organisms to towering trees, every form of life has its own special way of surviving and thriving. No matter how different they may seem at first glance, all organisms share one common attribute – they are capable of reproducing themselves.

This ability to reproduce is what allows life to continue evolving and adapting over time. The ever-changing environment provides new opportunities for organisms to thrive, and as a result, they evolve into new and unique forms.

In short, life on Earth is a miraculous phenomenon that is constantly evolving and changing in interesting and unexpected ways. Thanks for reading!

How does life function on Earth?

The answer to this question is far from simple, and it has been debated by scientists and philosophers for centuries. However, the most general consensus in the scientific community is that life on Earth functions by harnessing energy from the sun. This energy is converted into chemical energy, which is then used to create biomolecules such as proteins and DNA. These biomolecules then interact with each other to create complex systems, including plants, animals, and humans.

Problems and risks: what are the dangers to life on Earth?

Life on Earth is in danger from a number of sources. The dangers to life on Earth come from a variety of sources, including natural disasters, environmental degradation, and human actions. Each year, a large number of people die as a result of these dangers.

Natural Disasters: Natural disasters cause death and injury to people all over the world. Natural disasters can be caused by weather conditions such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, or tornadoes. They can also be caused by animals, such as pandemics or animal attacks. Natural disasters can also be caused by human activities, such as mining accidents or nuclear accidents.

Environmental Degradation: Environmental degradation results in the loss of natural resources and the destruction of habitats. This can cause wildlife to become extinct, decrease food supplies, and increase pollution levels. Environmental degradation can also lead to the release of harmful chemicals into the environment.

Human Actions: Human actions can also endanger life on Earth. Human activities that endanger life on Earth include the use of pesticides, the disposal of waste products, and the use of fossil fuels. Human actions that protect life on Earth include the promotion of renewable energy sources and the conservation of natural resources.

In conclusion, life on earth is a fascinating and complex journey. We are constantly evolving as a species, and our planet is in the midst of some very big changes. As we learn more about our planet and its systems, it’s evident that we need to take care of it – for our own sake, and for the sake of future generations. Thank you for reading this essay on life on earth – I hope you have enjoyed learning about all of the incredible things happening here on Earth.

Hello! Welcome to my Blog StudyParagraphs.co. My name is Angelina. I am a college professor. I love reading writing for kids students. This blog is full with valuable knowledge for all class students. Thank you for reading my articles.

Related Posts:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.