Review - How Does Life Come From Randomness?
How Did Life Begin on Earth? (3 min)
Kaplan_Universe.mp4
Elements of Life - An Interview with Sandy Faber
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/origins/faber.html
Astrophysicist Sand Faber: A message of the DEEP Survey for
humankind is that our universe is hospitable to life, that
there are billions and billions of galaxies everywhere
cooking elements and making stars that are ripe for solar
systems, that this process started early, and that, in most
galaxies, you could have formed solar systems way before our
own Milky Way formed. The habitat for life is everywhere.
The message of the DEEP Survey and all the other information
that we're getting is a beautiful story. It's a new version
of Genesis, a new version of the cosmic myth, only this time
it's scientifically based, from the big bang to now. Big
bang, formation of galaxies, formation of heavy elements in
supernovae, sun, Earth, life-one unbroken great chain of
being.
“We are the first generations of humans who are studying the
universe billions of years ago as it formed.”
And as we look out into the universe, we see this happening
all over. It's as though the universe is a giant garden
where flowers hospitable to life, habitats hospitable to
life, are blooming all over. It remains for us to see if we
can verify that these potentially powerful and favorable
habitats are actually giving rise to life as we see it here.
All life that we have ever observed is based of DNA, RNA,
and Amino acids.
Amino Acids
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amino_acid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_amino_acid
Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino
and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although over 500
amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are
the 22 α-amino acids incorporated into proteins. Only these
22 appear in the genetic code of life.
As of now, several α-amino acids, the building blocks of
proteins, have been found or suggested in space, but not all
22 essential α-amino acids have been confirmed in
interstellar environments [yet].
The most notable amino acid detected in meteorites (which
can be representative of material found in space) and
interstellar-like conditions is glycine (the simplest
α-amino acid, with the formula NH2CH2COOH). Glycine has been
detected in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by the Rosetta
spacecraft and is considered the first amino acid
definitively found in space.
Beyond glycine, other amino acids such as alanine, serine,
glutamic acid, and valine have been found in meteorites,
specifically in carbonaceous chondrites like the Murchison
meteorite. Although these are not confirmed to have been
found directly in interstellar space or molecular clouds,
meteorites are considered remnants of early solar system
material, suggesting that the conditions necessary for amino
acid formation were present in the early solar system and
possibly in interstellar environments.
Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
1. Phosphates has been found in interstellar space!
Specifically, phosphorus-bearing compounds, including
phosphates, have been detected in regions of star formation.
Phosphorus is a key element for life, and its compounds are
of significant interest to astrochemists and
astrobiologists.
2. Simple sugars have been detected in interstellar space!
The discovery of these molecules is an exciting development
in astrobiology because it suggests that the building blocks
of life may form in space and could potentially be delivered
to planets.
One of the most notable discoveries is the detection of
glycolaldehyde (C2H4O2), a simple sugar and a precursor to
more complex sugars like ribose, which is important for RNA.
Glycolaldehyde has been detected in regions of star
formation, particularly in the Sagittarius B2 molecular
cloud, a giant molecular cloud near the center of our
galaxy. This detection is significant because glycolaldehyde
can participate in chemical reactions that form ribose and
other sugars, which are essential for life as we know it.
3. All of the bases in DNA and RNA have now been found in
meteorites. These "nucleobases" - adenine, guanine,
cytosine, thymine and uracil - combine with sugars and
phosphates to make up the genetic code of all life on Earth.
Whether these basic ingredients for life first came from
space or instead formed in a warm soup of earthly chemistry
is still not known. But the discovery of all the bases in
meteorites suggests life's precursors originally came from
space.
Scientists Discover Rain's Key Role Supporting Early Life on Earth
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-discover-rains-key-role-supporting-early-life-on-earth
How Did the First Cells Arise? With a Little Rain, Study Finds.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/21/science/first-cells-rain.html
https://phys.org/news/2024-08-life-rainwater-protocell-walls.html
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adn9657
Abstract
Membraneless coacervate microdroplets have long been
proposed as model protocells as they can grow, divide, and
concentrate RNA by natural partitioning. However, the rapid
exchange of RNA between these compartments, along with their
rapid fusion, both within minutes, means that individual
droplets would be unable to maintain their separate genetic
identities. Hence, Darwinian evolution would not be
possible, and the population would be vulnerable to collapse
due to the rapid spread of parasitic RNAs.
In this study, we show that distilled water, mimicking
rain/freshwater, leads to the formation of electrostatic
crosslinks on the interface of coacervate droplets that not
only suppress droplet fusion indefinitely but also allow the
spatiotemporal compartmentalization of RNA on a timescale of
days depending on the length and structure of RNA. We
suggest that these nonfusing membraneless droplets could
potentially act as protocells with the capacity to evolve
compartmentalized ribozymes in prebiotic environments.
Lab-created ‘protocells’ provide clues to how life arose
https://www.science.org/content/article/lab-created-protocells-provide-clues-how-life-arose
Scientists have created lab-grown protocells using simple
ingredients, providing insights into how early cells formed.
These protocells have double-layered membranes similar to
modern cells and can encapsulate molecules, suggesting they
may mimic a stage in cellular evolution. The researchers
speculate that silica, present on primordial Earth, may have
sparked the formation of early membranes.
How Did Life Get Big and Complex?
https://mailchi.mp/quantamagazine.org/why-colliding-particles-reveal-reality-2493073?e=5edd8f019fv
For most of the history of life, beginning roughly 3.9
billion years ago, there was only one way to be alive: as a
lone cell. The first life forms were, in their entirety,
single, clearly defined microscopic units that reproduced by
dividing into two new cells, each of which went on its way.
Life stayed that way for billions of years. But then some of
these cells started to cooperate. They transitioned from
solo existence into group life. When one cell became two,
they remained together and eventually came to function as a
distinct kind of living assemblage: a multicellular
organism.
Life Requires Energy
Last week we noted that energy is required for complex
molecules to form.
Whether the basic ingredients for life first came from
space or instead formed in a warm soup of earthly chemistry
is still not known. If life DID form on earth, please share
your opinions of what and where energy sources are that
could have contributed to the development of life.
Science News Media
The Cosmos Teems with Complex Organic Molecules
https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-cosmos-teems-with-complex-organic-molecules-20241113/
The surprising organic chemistry in interstellar space
https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/the-surprising-organic-chemistry-in-interstellar-space/4019144.article
All of the bases in DNA and RNA have now been found in meteorites
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/all-of-the-bases-in-dna-and-rna-have-now-been-found-in-meteorites
Astronomers Discover Complex Carbon Molecules in Interstellar Space
https://www.sciencealert.com/astronomers-discover-complex-carbon-molecules-in-interstellar-space
First Look at Ryugu Asteroid Sample Reveals it is Organic-Rich
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/goddard/first-look-at-ryugu-asteroid-sample-reveals-it-is-organic-rich/
Scientists Discover RNA Component Buried in The Dust of an Asteroid
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-discover-rna-component-buried-in-the-dust-of-an-asteroid
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-29612-x
Never Before Detected – Organic Molecule Essential for Life Found in Interstellar Space
https://scitechdaily.com/never-before-detected-organic-molecule-essential-for-life-found-in-interstellar-space/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-36904-3
Scientists Discover How Complex Molecules May Have Stabilized
to Spark Life on Earth
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-discover-how-complex-molecules-may-have-stabilized-to-spark-life-on-earth
NASA’s Search For Life in a Radiation Death Zone | Europa Clipper
https://www.youtube.com/@veritasium/videos
https://youtu.be/DJO_9auJhJQ?si=NLUH3IWSKNdQsfuO
The Year in Biology (2024)
https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-year-in-biology-20241218/
Latest Science (all sciences)
http://edu-observatory.org/media/Science/index.html#LATEST
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