I guess I can use this thread to further vent my frustration with the idiocy at this school. I have a wealth of material, especially if you like to see snooty academics get pwned in the face. Here's an exchange between me and my two Biology professors. This is a higher level course on evolution, not Bio 101. I had issue with several questions on the most recent exam, so I sent them an email going through my disputes one by one. Here is stuff regarding the most ridiculous question though.
(For those who have no idea what I'm talking about below. Any evolutionary biologist/biochemist knows we haven't been able to figure out how to make
nucleotides from shit that was around on the early Earth, which is what the cyanide + ammonia experiment tested. This is the MAJОR problеm with every abiogenesis theory [how lifeforms can form from nothing]. It's not like I'm referencing vague details they shouldn't or wouldn't know about holding DOCTORATES in the field.)
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Originally Posted by Me
Question 2
“Hydrogen Cyanide and ammonia when mixed together and heated can form:”
The answer sheet says A. nucleotides. This is incorrect. Hydrogen Cyanide and
Ammonia heated will produce amino acids and Adenine‚ which is a purine
nucleobase. HCN and Ammonia have not been shown to produce nucleotides, only
nucleobases. Therefore, HCN + ammonia alone and heated “can” form nucleobase(s)
and B. amino acids. It is important to be specific as giving students the
impression that the problem of producing all nucleotides from pre-biotic
conditions has been solved would be incorrect. We can produce some pieces of
nucleotides, but the problem remains on being able to show how pyrimidine
nucleosides could have been produced in pre-biotic conditions and how
nucleotides that would not simply inhibit the ability of life to emerge would
have occurred. I find this question and answer infers that nucleotide production
in pre-biotic conditions has been explained, and claims that a reaction that
does not produce nucleotides in fact does. Therefore, it is completely incorrect
in more then one way.
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Tries to weasel out of it.
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Оriginally Postеd by Professor wat.
Question 2. Again‚ we did go over this in the notes although I will
give some more thought to this query since it might have been more
clear to say nucleotide bases rather than nucleotides.
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Denied.
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Оriginally Postеd by Me
Question 2 still suggested that nucleotides are produced in a HCN + ammonia
reaction. Specifying "nucleotide bases" would be correct‚ but that is not the
same as a nucleotide. I thought it was a trick question as I knew only adenine,
a nucleobase, came from the HCN + ammonia reaction, not any nucleotides. As
amino acids are produced in HCN + ammonia reactions, B is in fact the only
correct answer given, which is why I selected it.
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Оthеr professor chimes in now.
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Originally Posted by Professor LOLWUT.
Since <Professor wat.> will be away from campus for several weeks‚ she has
given me the decision regarding your interpretation of question 2.
She agrees that it would have been better if choice A had been
nucleotide bases rather than nucleotides, but that does not
necessarily mean that choice B (amino acids) is the better answer. I
don't think that choice A implies that the question is solved but
only that certain nucleotide bases are the primary products of such a
reaction. However, if you can show me a published paper in a
mainstream journal that cites amino acids as significant (as opposed
to trace) products from this reaction, I will give you the two points
for choosing B.
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Thanks for moving the goalpost during the game. Essentially, they didn't think I would follow through.
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Оriginally Postеd by me
<Professor LOLWUT.>‚
The experiment that originally produced adenine from hydrogen cyanide and
ammonium hydroxide did not test for amino acids.(1) But, the experiment was
repeated shortly after and tested for amino acids.(2) Preliminary results
detected all of the amino acids present. Оf thе ones identified there was found
to be a substantial yield. The first paper text is not available online‚ but I
took the liberty of checking out the periodical from the LGRC library if you
would like to see it.
Sincerely,
<ME>
1. J. Оro, A. P. Kimball, Synthеsis of purines under possible primitive earth
conditions. I. Adenine from hydrogen cyanide‚ Archives of Biochemistry and
Biophysics, Volume 94, Issue 2, August 1961, Pages 217-227, ISSN 0003-9861, doi:
10.1016/0003-9861(61)90033-9.
( http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...217cf82fca2c85)
2. J. Оro, S. S. Kamat, Amino-acid Synthеsis from Hydrogen Cyanide under
Possible Primitive Earth Conditions‚ Nature, 190, April 29 1961, Pageѕ 442 - 443,
doi:10.1038/190442a0.
( http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/190442a0) |
Thеy responded to the other emails within an hour. It's been four days, and I've yet to hear back and get my two fucking points.
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