Supply of phosphate to early Earth by photogeochemistry after meteoritic weathering
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During terrestrial differentiation, the relatively small amount of phosphorus that migrated to the lithosphere was incorporated into igneous rock, predominantly in the form of basic calcium orthophosphate (Ca 10(PO 4)6(OH,F,Cl)2, apatite). Yet, the highly insoluble nature of calcium apatite presents a significant problem to those contemplating the origin of life given the foundational role of phosphate (PO 4 3-) in extant biology and the apparent requirement for PO 4 3- as a catalyst, buffer and reagent in prebiotic chemistry. Reduced meteorites such as enstatite chondrites are highly enriched in phosphide minerals, and upon reaction with water these minerals can release phosphorus species of various oxidation states. Here, we demonstrate how reduced phosphorus species can be fully oxidized to PO 4 3- simply by the action of ultraviolet light on H 2 S/HS-. We used low pressure Hg lamps to simulate UV output from the young Sun and 31 P NMR spectroscopy to monitor the progress of reactions. Our experimental findings provide a cosmochemically and geochemically plausible means for supply of PO 4 3- that was widely available to prebiotic chemistry and nascent life on early Earth, and potentially on other planets.
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The invocation of ultraviolet light or lightning as the source of energy that drove the formation of first organic molecules is problematic because these energy sources are destructive of large molecules and it is hard to see how those energies could have been transferred to the interior of life's cradles.
“The invocation of ultraviolet light or lightning as the source of energy that drove the formations of first organic molecules, with or without a proposed role of wet/dry cycles, is also problematic [29,77]. In part, because these energy sources are destructive of large molecules and because it is hard to see how those energies could have been transferred to the interior of life’s cradles.”
From Opinion: The Key Steps in the Origin of Life to the Formation of the Eukaryotic Cell (2024) · cites this paper as [77]
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- Authors
- Ritson, D. J., Mojzsis, S. J., & Sutherland, J. D.
- Affiliations
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (GB)
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- Corresponding author
- Mojzsis, Stephen J.
- Venue
- Nature Geoscience
- Published
- 2020-03-23
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 344-348
- ISSN
- 1752-0894 (ISSN-L)
- 1752-0908
- PMC
- PMC7213494
- OpenAlex
- W3012831771
- Cited by
- 78
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 4
- FWCI
- 5.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Nature Geoscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Keywords
- phosphate supply, early Earth, hydrogen sulfide, ultraviolet radiation, prebiotic chemistry, meteorites, phosphorus oxidation
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