Cell Types - Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic

Throughout all cultures in human history, people have created stories to explain the beginning of life on Earth. In Norse mythology, the first being on Earth was a giant who emerged from the melting ice. The Inuit people believed that the god Raven made the world with the beat of his wings, filling the Earth with pea-pod plants, which after five days produced a fully-grown man. The ancient Egyptians believed that the god Atum created himself from nothing using his thought and sheer force of will. Atum joined with his shadow to produce a son and a daughter.

Like the cultures that produced creation myths, scientists also desired to explain the origins of life on Earth. Unlike the tellers of creation myths, scientists also sought verification for their explanations. Over the decades, modern scientists have gathered evidence from different experiments and observations, to be able to piece together their own ideas about the origins of life on Earth.

Life on Earth began at the cellular level. In this module, you will learn about the two major categories of cells, including the similarities and differences between the types. You will also learn about the different explanations for the origins of cellular life on Earth, and how different cells evolved.

Essential Questions

• What are the characteristics of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
• How did cells originate on Earth?
• What experiments and theories attempted to prove how life originated on Earth?