The origin of life; the first self-replicating molecules were RNA nucleotides.

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Authors

Kenichi Ohsaka 

Abstract

Difficulty to efficiently synthesize RNA nucleotides by joining their subunits in modern labs under simulated prebiotic Earth environments leads us to propose an alternative process by cross complimentary self-replication with help of abiotic catalysts such as minerals which are known to be good catalysts and certainly existed on prebiotic Earth. The process took place in areas with cyclic environmental changes such as tideland where wet & dry cycles repeated due to the rise and fall of the tide. Self-replication of the nucleotides (monomers) and polynucleotides (polymers) may be considered as the origin of evolving life, and also the reason for heredity of RNA. The homochirality of RNA was naturally established during polymerization. Self-replication enabled transfer of molecular information and allowed mutation and natural selection, essential evolutional processes of life.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.32942/X2P618

Subjects

Life Sciences

Keywords

Origin of life, RNA nucleotide, self-replication, natural selection, mutation

Dates

Published: 2025-01-13 03:11

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No Creative Commons license

Additional Metadata

Language:
English