Yet how life first formed, or even how the biochemical precursors of life developed, and under what conditions these events happened, are not yet understood. The origin of life is an area of active research, with considerable debate among scientists from various disciplines. The Origin of Life module combines what is known about living things with the research and debate about life's beginnings and early history. The first lesson, Introduction , assesses students' understanding of life, its processes, and the interrelatedness of life via a concept map. These explorations lead into a series of activities that focus on the fundamental life processes of information storage and its translation.
Students examine the structure of DNA, and simulate the translation of DNA into protein.
The evidence for the early evolution of life is the focus of the third lesson, History of Life on Earth . In addition to examining the fossil and rock records, students also explore the molecular evidence that can be found in modern day organisms. By comparing DNA and RNA, scientists have inferred relationships between current organisms and postulated a common, prokaryotic-like ancestor. Students examine the aspects of the physical environment under which life began. This lesson focuses on conveying not only what scientists know, but how they know what they know.