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Reality of the Emergence of Life-Like Systems from Simple Prebiotic Polymers on Primitive Earth

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Genesis - In The Beginning

Part of the book series: Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology ((COLE,volume 22))

Abstract

The formation of biopolymers should have been an essential step for the emergence of lifelike systems on the primitive Earth. RNA and protein-like molecules are considered to have played important roles for the formation of systems to maintain primitive metabolism, replication, and mutation. However, the pathways how a system consisting of these simple biopolymers had evolved to a real lifelike system, which is determined as alive, are still speculative. In this chapter, a realistic system will be deduced on the basis of the analysis of chemical evolution of biopolymers on hydrothermal Earth conditions and the requisite for life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Environmental Studies, Hiroshima Shudo University, 1-1-1, Ozuka-higashi, Asaminami-ku, Hiroshima, 731-3195, Japan

    Kunio Kawamura

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  1. Kunio Kawamura
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Correspondence to Kunio Kawamura .

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  1. University of Jerusalem, Mevo Hadas 20, Efrat, 90435, Israel

    Joseph Seckbach

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Kawamura, K. (2012). Reality of the Emergence of Life-Like Systems from Simple Prebiotic Polymers on Primitive Earth. In: Seckbach, J. (eds) Genesis - In The Beginning. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology, vol 22. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2941-4_7

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