Possibility of Abiotic Genesis of Biochemistry.

Citation: Sim, BKY, Ling, MHT. 2020. Possibility of Abiotic Genesis of Biochemistry. EC Microbiology 16(6): 104-109.

Link to [Abstract] and [PDF].

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One of the first and primary life origin questions is how life can originate from primordial Earth chemistry. More than 60 years ago, Stanley Miller and Harold Urey conducted the famous Miller-Urey experiment where heated mixture of water, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen; representing early compounds on Earth; produces several amino acids when passed through an electrical discharge representing lightning. This gave rise to the possibility of abiotic genesis of biochemistry. Over the next six decades, evidence supporting various primordial macrobiomolecules emerged; leading to the concepts of RNA, DNA, and peptides being the first primordial macrobiomolecules. In this short review, possibility of each world originating separately, and coevolving were examined. Current evidence suggests that RNA world and peptide/amyloid world may originate independently and substantial possibility of interplay between these three worlds. Hence, RNA world, DNA world, and peptide/amyloid world may coevolve regardless of whether they originate independently. Thus, this calls for a reconciliation into a peptide-nucleic acid world.