Abstract Many accounts of the origin of life assume that the spontaneous synthesis of a self-replicating nucleic acid could take place readily. Serious chemical obstacles exist, however, which make such an event extremely improbable. Prebiotic syntheses of adenine from HCN, of D, L-ribose from adenosine, and of adenosine from adenine and D-ribose have in fact been demonstrated. However these procedures use pure starting materials, afford poor yields, and are run under conditions which are not compatible with one another. Any nucleic acid components which are formed on the primitive earth would tend to hydrolyze by a number of pathways. Their polymerization would be inhibited by the presence of vast numbers of related substances which would react preferentially with them. It appears likely that nucleic acids were not formed by prebiotic routes, but are later products of evolution.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    The improbability of prebiotic nucleic acid synthesis


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Origins of life ; 14 , 1-4 ; 565-570


    Publication date :

    1984




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English



    Classification :

    BKL:    44.71 Verkehrsmedizin
    Local classification TIB:    535/3908/4290



    On the improbability of a Swahili origin for the word 'dhow'

    Edgar Taylor, James | Online Contents | 2010


    Synthesis of prebiotic molecules — Role of some carbonyl compounds in prebiotic chemistry

    Chadha, M. S. / Choughuley, A. S. U. | Online Contents | 1984


    The prebiotic synthesis of oligonucleotides

    Oró, J. / Stephen-Sherwood, E. | Online Contents | 1974