Elements and the Origin of Life. Boron and Molybdenum

Details Elements and the Origin of Life. Boron and Molybdenum Elements and the Origin of Life. Boron and Molybdenum

Dec 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.b24c..01b&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #B24C-01

Mathematics

Logic

0412 Biogeochemical Kinetics And Reaction Modeling (0414, 0793, 1615, 4805, 4912), 0414 Biogeochemical Cycles, Processes, And Modeling (0412, 0793, 1615, 4805, 4912), 1055 Organic And Biogenic Geochemistry

Scientific paper

The central paradox surrounding the origin of life is not presented by a scarcity of organic compounds (which are abundant in the cosmos), but rather the ease with which organic compounds become tar when they are exposed to energy. One emerging solution to this problem is the interaction of minerals with organic compounds in ways that no only guides their reactivity, but also stabilizes end products having biological value. One breakthrough in this area is the discovery that ribose, the "R" in "RNA", is formed in a guided process in the presence of boron-containing minerals, and is stabilized by boron once it is formed. This process may have been coupled with molybdenum-guided pathways on early Earth. These observations, confirmed in detail in the laboratory, are guiding those who model planetary formation to consider how these two elements, neither particularly abundant in the Earth's crust, might have been made available to organic molecules evolving early in Earth's history to give chemical systems capable of Darwinian evolution.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Elements and the Origin of Life. Boron and Molybdenum does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Elements and the Origin of Life. Boron and Molybdenum, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Elements and the Origin of Life. Boron and Molybdenum will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1233725