Other
Scientific paper
May 1990
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1990oleb...20..293m&link_type=abstract
Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere, Volume 20, Issue 3-4, pp. 293-302
Other
3
Scientific paper
A general argument is made for the photochemical origins of life. A constant flux of free energy is required to maintain the organized state of matter called life. Solar photons are the unique source of the large amounts of energy probably require to initiate this organization and certainly required for the evolution of life to occur. The completion of this argument will require the experimental determination of suitable photochemical reactions. Our work shows that biogenetic porphyrins readily photooxidize substrates and emit hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst. These results are consistent with the Granick hypothesis, which relates a biosynthetic pathway to its evolutionary origin. We have shown that photoexcitation of ferrous ion at neutral pH with near ultraviolet light produces hydrogen with high quantum yield. This same simple system may reduce carbon dioxide to formaldehyde and further products. These reactions offer a solution to the dilemma confronting the Oparin-Urey-Miller model of the chemical origin of life. If carbon dioxide is the main form of carbon on the primitive earth, the ferrous photoreaction may provide the reduced carbon necessary for the formation of amino acids and other biogenic molecules. These results suggest that this progenitor of modern photosynthesis may have contributed to the chemical origins of life.
No associations
LandOfFree
The photochemical origins of life and photoreaction of ferrous ion in the archaean oceans 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 The photochemical origins of life and photoreaction of ferrous ion in the archaean oceans, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The photochemical origins of life and photoreaction of ferrous ion in the archaean oceans will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-783474