Controversies in Science/RNA world vs metabolism first
(from Controversies in Science)
Did the RNA world pre-date metabolism?
| Points For | Points Against | |
|---|---|---|
| The RNA world can self replicate, synthesize cofactors, fuse amino acids, and has basic metabolism [1].[2]. | Deep sea vents had the components to make RNA[3]. | |
| Life as we know was formed from an RNA world with life based on self-replicating biopolymers. If life was created from biopolymers, the metabolism theory would be incorrect because biopolymers are not rocks. Biopolymers are molecules that could have been found in places like ponds or beneath a desert floor where there is moisture[4]. | Organic Matter Could Form Spontaneously
From what we know about cosmic and geological conditions and chemistry and thermodynamics, organic matter could have formed spontaneously. Grasses and minerals on the surface and in the oceans of the Earth reacted to one another and were eventually organized into supra molecular aggregates. [5] |
References
edit- ↑ Chen, X., Li, N., Ellington, A. D. (2007). A Critique of Ribozyme catalysis of metabolism in the RNA world. Chemistry & biodiversity (1612-1872), 4 (4), 633. DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.200790055
- ↑ Thomas R. Cech(2011). http://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/content/4/7/a006742.full.pdf+html. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2012; doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a006742 [1]
- ↑ Martin, William (09/2008). A Critique of Hydrothermal vents and the origin of life. Nature reviews. Microbiology (1740-1526), 6 (11), 805. DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro1991
- ↑ Wu, Meng (11/2009). A Critique of Origin of Self-Replicating Biopolymers: Autocatalytic Feedback Can Jump-Start the RNA World. Journal of molecular evolution (0022-2844), 69 (5), 541. DOI: 10.1007/s00239-009-9276-8
- ↑ Brownson, C., & Follmann, H. (2009). A critique of Darwin’s warm little pond revisited: from molecules to the origin of life. Naturwissenschaften. 96, 1265-1292.