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The origin of life: what we know, what we can know and what we will never know

The origin of life (OOL) problem remains one of the more challenging scientific questions of all time. In this essay, we propose that following recent experimental and theoretical advances in systems chemistry, the underlying principle governing the emergence of life on the Earth can in its broadest...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Pross, Addy, Pascal, Robert
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: The Royal Society 2013
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3718341/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23466673
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsob.120190
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author Pross, Addy
Pascal, Robert
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Pascal, Robert
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description The origin of life (OOL) problem remains one of the more challenging scientific questions of all time. In this essay, we propose that following recent experimental and theoretical advances in systems chemistry, the underlying principle governing the emergence of life on the Earth can in its broadest sense be specified, and may be stated as follows: all stable (persistent) replicating systems will tend to evolve over time towards systems of greater stability. The stability kind referred to, however, is dynamic kinetic stability, and quite distinct from the traditional thermodynamic stability which conventionally dominates physical and chemical thinking. Significantly, that stability kind is generally found to be enhanced by increasing complexification, since added features in the replicating system that improve replication efficiency will be reproduced, thereby offering an explanation for the emergence of life's extraordinary complexity. On the basis of that simple principle, a fundamental reassessment of the underlying chemistry–biology relationship is possible, one with broad ramifications. In the context of the OOL question, this novel perspective can assist in clarifying central ahistoric aspects of abiogenesis, as opposed to the many historic aspects that have probably been forever lost in the mists of time.
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spelling pubmed-37183412013-07-26 The origin of life: what we know, what we can know and what we will never know Pross, Addy Pascal, Robert Open Biol Review The origin of life (OOL) problem remains one of the more challenging scientific questions of all time. In this essay, we propose that following recent experimental and theoretical advances in systems chemistry, the underlying principle governing the emergence of life on the Earth can in its broadest sense be specified, and may be stated as follows: all stable (persistent) replicating systems will tend to evolve over time towards systems of greater stability. The stability kind referred to, however, is dynamic kinetic stability, and quite distinct from the traditional thermodynamic stability which conventionally dominates physical and chemical thinking. Significantly, that stability kind is generally found to be enhanced by increasing complexification, since added features in the replicating system that improve replication efficiency will be reproduced, thereby offering an explanation for the emergence of life's extraordinary complexity. On the basis of that simple principle, a fundamental reassessment of the underlying chemistry–biology relationship is possible, one with broad ramifications. In the context of the OOL question, this novel perspective can assist in clarifying central ahistoric aspects of abiogenesis, as opposed to the many historic aspects that have probably been forever lost in the mists of time. The Royal Society 2013-03 /pmc/articles/PMC3718341/ /pubmed/23466673 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsob.120190 Text en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ © 2013 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited.
spellingShingle Review
Pross, Addy
Pascal, Robert
The origin of life: what we know, what we can know and what we will never know
title The origin of life: what we know, what we can know and what we will never know
title_full The origin of life: what we know, what we can know and what we will never know
title_fullStr The origin of life: what we know, what we can know and what we will never know
title_full_unstemmed The origin of life: what we know, what we can know and what we will never know
title_short The origin of life: what we know, what we can know and what we will never know
title_sort origin of life: what we know, what we can know and what we will never know
topic Review
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3718341/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23466673
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsob.120190
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