asked 145k views
3 votes
The original atmosphere of earth had little oxygen. what was the likely first source of oxygen that led to an oxygen atmosphere?

1 Answer

5 votes
Answer is: cyanobacteria.
Cyanobacteria are a phylum of bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis and are the only photosynthetic prokaryotes able to produce oxygen.
Cyanobacteria are thought to have converted the early oxygen-poor, reducing atmosphere into an oxidizing one, causing the Great Oxygenation Event which dramatically changed the composition of the Earth's life forms and led to the near-extinction of anaerobic organisms.
answered
User Raphael Isidro
by
8.9k points

No related questions found

Welcome to Qamnty — a place to ask, share, and grow together. Join our community and get real answers from real people.