We have all heard of the 'RNA world' idea and that this period preceded life. I'd like to suggest a
period that was before the RNA world.
I'd like to suggest this term "H - bond World"
I think that before the RNA world there was a period where a heat cycle in the environment (caused
mostly by the sun) produced and caused selection on, a number of prebiotic molecules that joined
together or broke apart (denatured or annealed) due to h-bonds.
Because the activation energy needed to break an h - bond is so small compared to a covalent bond;
the h-bond world would have the advantage of having a very low activation energy in its chemical
processes.
I think it is unreasonable to think that life could begin in an environment where in every case
chemicals first had to overcome the activation energy needed r covalent bonds.
Instead I think there was a period Z when h bonds were the key to selection. And the heat cycle did
two things
1. denatured and annealed h-bonds allowing for many variants to select from
2. did the selection on these variants - with the survivors being those molecules that were the most
thermally stable (and in cases where 2 or more were eqally thermally stable - selection would be
on other advantages)
Comment?
Tom Hendricks
The main points of my hypothesis are:
3. How life began as a reaction to the sun/UV and the thermal cycle of hot-dry-sun/cold-wet-night.
Then continued as an energy moderator with modification through descent.
4. The Four Options and how they relate to thermodynamics, biological classification, the first
cell, modification on all levels, psychological behavior of individuals and groups, inner
conflicts and a therapy of resolving them, etc.
5. Model showing relationship between adaptation fitness and natural selection. How it supports
punctuated equilibrium and the 'slope and plateau' model etc.
For a reader friendly summary see my arts/media website url for Musea issue#122
musea.digitalchainsaw.com122Musea1.htmlOpen ↗
Tom Hendricks, Hendricks Health Theory text files at <A
HREF="ediacara.orghendricks.htmlOpen ↗">ediacara.orediacara.orOpen ↗
g/~josh/hendricks.html (text #10 has a not-too-out of date summary)
Remember YOUR chemistry can't hide from MY sun.