Sorry If these questions are stupid, I was just randomly thinking about how rna started.
In: 329
Yeah, RNA can be created randomly in pockets, but since there’s already life on Earth, that life will quickly consume the RNA strands, not allowing them a chance to eventually turn into life. The early Earth had no such “predators” (as it were) so they were able to change over time into life.
Yeah, RNA can be created randomly in pockets, but since there’s already life on Earth, that life will quickly consume the RNA strands, not allowing them a chance to eventually turn into life. The early Earth had no such “predators” (as it were) so they were able to change over time into life.
Well a few things.
1. When you have random RNA being generated, the chances of it forming a self replicating molecule are ridiculously small. When it happened on earth, it took potentially a billion years.
2. The conditions that existed on earth when life developed no longer exist. There are no longer blood-warm seas filled with tons of organic molecules. There may be some RNA being randomly made, but much less than during Earth’s early history.
3. Assuming a new form of life did spontaneously generate, it would have to compete with the existing forms of life. We know that when life first evolved, it wasn’t very efficient or “good” at living. It took a long time to evolve into the modern rugged, adaptable, and fast replicating forms it has today. A new form of life would probably get bullied out of existence by existing life forms.
Well a few things.
1. When you have random RNA being generated, the chances of it forming a self replicating molecule are ridiculously small. When it happened on earth, it took potentially a billion years.
2. The conditions that existed on earth when life developed no longer exist. There are no longer blood-warm seas filled with tons of organic molecules. There may be some RNA being randomly made, but much less than during Earth’s early history.
3. Assuming a new form of life did spontaneously generate, it would have to compete with the existing forms of life. We know that when life first evolved, it wasn’t very efficient or “good” at living. It took a long time to evolve into the modern rugged, adaptable, and fast replicating forms it has today. A new form of life would probably get bullied out of existence by existing life forms.
Well a few things.
1. When you have random RNA being generated, the chances of it forming a self replicating molecule are ridiculously small. When it happened on earth, it took potentially a billion years.
2. The conditions that existed on earth when life developed no longer exist. There are no longer blood-warm seas filled with tons of organic molecules. There may be some RNA being randomly made, but much less than during Earth’s early history.
3. Assuming a new form of life did spontaneously generate, it would have to compete with the existing forms of life. We know that when life first evolved, it wasn’t very efficient or “good” at living. It took a long time to evolve into the modern rugged, adaptable, and fast replicating forms it has today. A new form of life would probably get bullied out of existence by existing life forms.
I thought nucleopeptides were created in the natural uranium reactors deep underground back when the earth was still hot and water was liquid in aquifers only. or am I thinking of something else
I thought nucleopeptides were created in the natural uranium reactors deep underground back when the earth was still hot and water was liquid in aquifers only. or am I thinking of something else
I thought nucleopeptides were created in the natural uranium reactors deep underground back when the earth was still hot and water was liquid in aquifers only. or am I thinking of something else
We know that the nucleotides that make up RNA, and the sugars, do form under conditions that seem to have existed on Earth billions of years ago. However, our planet’s changed a lot since then — a lot less ammonia and cyanide around these days, for instance. Also it took
making tons of the stuff over millions of years to get something life-ish.
That’s just not going to happen today. Not only are the conditions not right and materials to make it less abundant, but every organism on Earth literally eats the stuff. Everything from bacteria to you has enzymes that break down RNA and recycle it. Any RNA hanging about is typically broken down relatively quickly (certainly not milling about for millennia until a bunch of them make a living thing (which really also requires bubbles of farts too).
We know that the nucleotides that make up RNA, and the sugars, do form under conditions that seem to have existed on Earth billions of years ago. However, our planet’s changed a lot since then — a lot less ammonia and cyanide around these days, for instance. Also it took
making tons of the stuff over millions of years to get something life-ish.
That’s just not going to happen today. Not only are the conditions not right and materials to make it less abundant, but every organism on Earth literally eats the stuff. Everything from bacteria to you has enzymes that break down RNA and recycle it. Any RNA hanging about is typically broken down relatively quickly (certainly not milling about for millennia until a bunch of them make a living thing (which really also requires bubbles of farts too).
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