BIOL2117 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Atp Synthase, Electrochemical Gradient, Thylakoid
Document Summary
Primordial soup: the for and against - thought to have lead to early life. For: experiments have produced many of the components of dna and proteins: amino acids, purines (adenine), pyrimidines, nucleotide . Against: nobody has produced the polymers that are required for life (e. g. dna, rna, proteins) Against: no existing organisms rely on uv light or electric sources for energy. Produces ch4 and simple hydrocarbons from h and co ; mimics biochemistry of some of the first living organisms (methanogens; see next lecture) Inorganic catalysts (e. g. fe-s) associated with early life. Called alkaline: due to the water produced by them to be at a ph of about 9 (alkaline water) Natural electrochemical (proton) gradients at hydrothermal vents - similar to the proton gradients in cells to produce energy. For: experiments have synthesised some organific molecules: carboxylic acids, hydrocarbons, amino acids . Against: but not all - no nucleotides have yet been produced by chemistry.
