New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

New Insights Into The Origin Of Life On Earth

Date:
December 12, 2006
Source:
American Chemical Society
Summary:
In an advance toward understanding the origin of life on Earth, scientists have shown that parts of the Krebs cycle can run in reverse, producing biomolecules that could jump-start life with only sunlight and a mineral present in the primordial oceans.
Share:
FULL STORY

In an advance toward understanding the origin of life on Earth, scientists have shown that parts of the Krebs cycle can run in reverse, producing biomolecules that could jump-start life with only sunlight and a mineral present in the primordial oceans.

The Krebs cycle is a series of chemical reactions of central importance in cells -- part of a metabolic pathway that changes carbohydrates, fats and proteins into carbon dioxide and water to generate energy.

Scot T. Martin and Xiang V. Zhang explain that a reverse version of the cycle, which makes enzymes and other biomolecules from carbon dioxide, has been getting attention from scientists studying the origin of life. If the reverse cycle worked on a lifeless Earth, it could have produced the fundamental biochemicals needed for the development of more-advanced biological systems like RNA that could reproduce themselves.

In a report scheduled for the Dec. 13 issue of the weekly Journal of the American Chemical Society, Martin and Zhang demonstrate that three of the five chemical reactions in the reverse Krebs cycle worked and produced biomolecules on the surface of a mineral believed to have been present in the waters of the early Earth. The mineral -- sphalerite -- acted as a photocatalyst that worked with sunlight to foster the chemical reactions.


Story Source:

Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

American Chemical Society. "New Insights Into The Origin Of Life On Earth." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 December 2006. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061211115422.htm>.
American Chemical Society. (2006, December 12). New Insights Into The Origin Of Life On Earth. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 10, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061211115422.htm
American Chemical Society. "New Insights Into The Origin Of Life On Earth." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061211115422.htm (accessed October 10, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES