Review
Version 1
Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Why is Abiogenesis Such a Tough Nut to Crack?
Version 1
: Received: 4 December 2023 / Approved: 4 December 2023 / Online: 5 December 2023 (09:05:03 CET)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Abel, D. Why Is Abiogenesis Such a Tough Nut to Crack? Archives of Microbiology & Immunology 2024, 8, doi:10.26502/ami.936500182. Abel, D. Why Is Abiogenesis Such a Tough Nut to Crack? Archives of Microbiology & Immunology 2024, 8, doi:10.26502/ami.936500182.
Abstract
The latest life-origin literature is reviewed, along with grouping and classification of the most enduring models of abiogenesis. New trends are identified in origin-of-life thought. Astrobiology continues to deal mostly with inorganic and very elementary organic reactions in extreme environments. Nonequilibrium thermodynamics has received a great deal of attention. Attempts have been made to relate Bejan’s Constructal Law to life and abiogenesis. RNA World preclusions only seem to have grown, while ribozyme/peptide models have expanded. The biosemiotic movement and code biology is gaining influence in refining a more complete description of life. Prof James Tour at Rice University in a fourteen-lecture series lists a number of synthetic biochemical hurtles remaining that still need to be overcome. But the need for some sort of informational recipe, instruction, steering and control now seems to be the most prominent area of focus and concern. Even a protometabolism needed active selection and controls rather than mere constraints or law. The latest literature still does not elucidate how protometabolism was orchestrated in an inanimate, pre-evolutionary environment.
Keywords
protolife; protocells; abiogenesis; life origin; origin of life; protometabolism; protocellular metabolomics
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Comments (0)
We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.
Leave a public commentSend a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
