BIO 200 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4.4: Reverse Transcriptase, Polymerization, Ribozyme
6 Sep 2016
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Nucleic acids and the origin of life - chapter 4. 3. How did the large molecules of life originate. Solid mineral surfaces, such as powder like clays, have large surface areas, scientists speculate that the silicates in clay may have catalyzed (sped up) the condensation reaction that resulted in organic polymers. Hydrothermal vents deep in the ocean lack oxygen gas and contain metals such as iron and nickel. In lab experiments, these metals have been shown to catalyze the polymerization of amino acids in the absence of oxygen. In hot pools at the edges of oceans, evaporation may have concentrated monomers to the point where polymerization was favored ( primordial soup hypothesis) Rna may have been the first biological catalyst. A key to the origin of life is the appearance of catalysts. Myriad shape allow them to bind to diverse substances in solution and speed up chemical reactions.
