MadSci Network: Evolution
Query:

Re: What do you know about evolution of life ?

Date: Tue Jul 4 07:46:17 2000
Posted By: Yvonne Buckley, Grad student, Biology, Imperial College London
Area of science: Evolution
ID: 959758323.Ev
Message:

Considering that the Earth is estimated to be 4.55 billion years old and that life is estimated to have come on the scene one billion years later - unwitnessed - it is almost surprising that such a rich and fascinating body of knowledge about the origin of life exists. The crucial questions about how life originated revolve around the state of the Earth 3.55 billion years ago, what chemicals were available and could they have reacted to produce biological compounds given the conditions on Earth? Then there is the problem of the evolution of RNA and DNA, chemicals which hold vital information about the building blocks of each living organism.

Some of the earliest research is still compelling. A young graduate student in 1953, Stanley Miller, combined a possible pre-biotic atmosphere with boiling water and a burst of electricity (similar to a lightening bolt) - 11 amino acids (out of a total of 20 used in living organisms) were produced. Read an interview with Stanley Miller at this site (and see an animation of the aparatus used in this ground-breaking experiment). Subsequent experiments have proven that in addition to amino acids, sugars such as ribose and the purines and pyrimidines necessary for the construction of RNA and DNA can all be synthesised in simple pre-biotic conditions.

More recent research has centred on the "RNA World" and "Pre-RNA World", looking at how RNA could have functioned as one of the first replicators, able to reproduce itself and catalyse reactions. See this article from American Scientist for more details.

This site provides information on much of the research and different theories on how life evolved.


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