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Conceptions about the Origin of Life in Science vs. High School Textbooks
Vávrová, Anna ; Dvořáková, Radka (advisor) ; Toman, Jan (referee)
The theory of the origin of life in lessons of biology in secondary schools - this topic is limited on concepts such as abiogenesis, panspermia, creationism, biological and chemical evolution in textbooks. What was written in textbooks years ago is, in many cases, no longer upto date. The aim of this bachelor thesis is to summarize the most recent scientific pieces of knowledge relevant to the topic of the origin of life and ensuingly compare them with the material that is presented to students at secondary schools. This bachelor thesis consists of three parts, where the first is a literary research focused on technical scientific articles dealing with the topic of the origin of life (cell). The following part contains a research of the contents of educational material and textbooks, and I compare the two previous parts in the last one. My effort is to point out information that can already be mistaken or archaic, and are being lectured to students as facts in secondary schools. After comparing the current knowledge with the contents of the textbooks I have used today, I would recommend the actual interpretation to be updated by the information that has been enriched in the past years.
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Computational Study of the TiO2-Catalyzed Synthesis of Acyclonucleosides from Formamide: Implications for the Origin of Life
Mládek, Arnošt ; Burda, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Futera, Zdeněk (referee)
The TiO2-catalyzed synthesis of nucleosides in non-aqueous formamide environ- ment via so-called acyclonucleoside intermediates represents an alternative way for the emergence of nucleic acids monomeric units, which could address the the fundamental problem associated with the formation of a --glycosidic bond between a nucleobase and a sugar moiety. In this computational contribution we present a plausible reaction route for the prebiotic TiO2-catalyzed synthesis of purine C2- and C3-acyclonucleosides in formamide, which does not require photocatalytic or radical chain mechanisms. The maximum computed activation energy along the proposed reaction channel is ≥ 32 kcal·mol≠1 , which is clearly feasible under the experimental conditions of the Saladino synthesis. We show that the rate determining step of the entire reaction path is the deprotonation of the formaldehyde hydrate methylene carbon occurring likely on defective binding sites of an anatase surface. Our calculations thus support the view of Saladino et al. about the catalytic role of the TiO2 surface in the one-pot synthesis of purine acyclonucleosides in heat formamide solution.
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Birth and termination of unborn life
LUŇÁKOVÁ, Jana
The thesis deals with the problem of the origin of human life and abortion. It focuses on different approaches to the question as to when unborn human life becomes a person, and, consequently, when it should be guaranteed the right to life. The thesis is divided into four main chapters corresponding to four main aspects of the issue of abortion. The first chapter provides information from embryological (biological creation of man) and medical (abortion) perspective. The second chapter deals with the abortion legislation in the Czech Republic (history and current situation). The third chapter examines different ethical questions such as identity of the person, the right to decide about their own body, etc. The last chapter gives an account on person and abortion from the Christian point of view.
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Origin of life on Earth. Facts and (pseudo)interpretations
Paleček, Emil
In the first part there is given a summary of present knowledge on the origin of life on Earth. Further there are given several views of acknowledged scientists on science. These opinions are confronted with some interpretations of facts in popular articles. The paper warns against the danger of influencing science by ideology.
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