Earth Subsystem:

Biosphere
Biosphere
• The biosphere makes up all the living
components on Earth. It is the subsystem that
comprises all living things, including those
which have yet been identified. In fact, there
are more life-forms unknown to humans than
those that have been identified.
• Life exist in all the subsystem of Earth-on land,
water, and in air.
 The origin of the Biosphere
• Life on Earth is presumed to have begun
around 3.9 million years ago from a single
primitive living creature.
• How it started and evolved is still unresolved
up to this time. Therefore, many theories
emerged that attempt to explain the origin of
life on Earth.
Activity
Instruction:
• With the use of Illustration, describe the theories that
attempt to explain the origin of life on Earth.
Rubrics:
• Compliance 10
• Organization 10
• Cooperation 10
• Presentation 10
• Clarity 10
• Total 50
The Theory of Primordial Soup
• Scientist have held on the theory of the
primordial soup. It states that life begun from
nonliving matters such as simple organic
compounds.
• It was believed that primitive Earth contain
chemical such as methane, water, ammonia,
and hydrogen that accumulate in a “Soup” as
a certain area viable for the energy.
• Over time, the first known creature to have
inhabited Earth were the single-celled
microorganisms, bacteria, and Archaeans.
• They are believed to have begun at the same
time that Earth was forming. To sustain life,
other subsystem are needed as some
materials and energy are derived from these
subsystem. Because the amount and types of
materials vary in different areas life-forms
evolved as a result of their adaption to new
environments.
Deep-sea vent Theory
• This theory presupposed that life began not
only on the surface of the Earth but deep
down in the areas known as marine
hydrothermal vents.
• Hydrothermal vents release boiling hot fluids
mixed with toxic chemicals and heavy metals.
Hydrogen sulfide is the main compound
spewed out from cracks or fissures on the
ocean floor.
• Certain bacteria or primitive microbes grow
around the vents. The bacteria absorb hydrogen
sulfide that streams from the vents to create
simple sugar for their food process known as
chemosynthesis.
• In 1990, the discovery of nanobes (organisms
smaller than the bacteria that contain DNA and
live in rocks) and the subsequent discovery of an
entire new ecosystem that exist in the deep-sea
vent support this theory which was proposed by
Thomas Gold (1920-2004) in his paper entitled
“The Deep Hot Biosphere” (1992)
Panspermia
• This hypothesis proposed that life on Earth
actually began some wherein the universe.
Life-forms could have been carried by
meteorites, asteroids, or even comets as they
may cosmic impact on Earth. This types of
organisms believed to be present during the
time could survive the effects of space and
were dormant for a long period of time
because they were trap in planetary debris.
• When the ideal conditions are met, these
organisms are began to be active and then
proliferated.
• In the early 1970s, interstellar dust was
studied and perceived to consist of large
components of organic molecules known to
be the building block of life.
• Several simulations of this theory were tried in
laboratories, suggesting that ejection, entity,
and impact of rocks may be tolerable for the
simple organization.
The system of Biosphere
• The biosphere is where certain organisms
function to consume a different set of organisms
to allow energy transfer from one group of
organisms to another and to allow certain
materials to recycle.
• Most plants are capable of making their own
food through photosynthesis and certain
animals can consume them.
• Higher forms of bacteria and other organisms
eventually decompose or break down dead
animals
• All these processes allow energy to be
transferred and nutrients to be reabsorbed
and released into the soil, ocean, and air. This
process continues up to the present
• Energy transferred from one organisms to
another in a food chain. A food web is
composed of several interconnected food
chains that involve more organisms. The more
organisms participate in the line of energy
transfer, less energy could be obtained by the
last consumer.
• Food web exist in an ecosystem where both
living and nonliving things interact to make
the whole system work.
• So, the whole biosphere is actually a large
ecosystem interacting with all the other
subsystem of Earth
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