Life as a cosmic imperative?
Abstract
The origin of life on Earth may be divided into two stages separated by the first appearance of replicable molecules, most probably of RNA. The first stage depended exclusively on chemistry. The second stage likewise involved chemistry, but with the additional participation of selection, a necessary concomitant of inevitable replication accidents. Consideration of these two processes suggests that the origin of life may have been close to obligatory under the physical–chemical conditions that prevailed at the site of its birth. Thus, an extrasolar planet in which those conditions were replicated appears as a probable site for the appearance of extra-terrestrial life.
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No matter where the beginning of life was, if it was through autocatalytic reactions, it had to be accompanied by lethal mutants with truncated selection.
“The key point of our study is that no matter where the beginning of life was (it is an obligatory property of the matter, as has been assumed in [42]), if it was through autocatalytic reactions, it had to be accompanied by lethal mutants with truncated selection.”
From Lethal mutants and truncated selection together solve a paradox of the origin of life (2011) · cites this paper as [42]
There are three essential stages in the origin of life.
“There are three essential stages in the origin of life [42].”
From Lethal mutants and truncated selection together solve a paradox of the origin of life (2011) · cites this paper as [42]
Our work helps to solve a puzzle in the second stage of the origin of life.
“Our work helps to solve a puzzle in the second stage of the origin of life [42].”
From Lethal mutants and truncated selection together solve a paradox of the origin of life (2011) · cites this paper as [42]
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- Authors
- de Duve, C.
- Affiliations
- de Duve Institute, 75, Avenue Hippocrate, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Venue
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Published
- 2011-02-13
- Volume
- 369
- Issue
- 1936
- Pages
- 620-623
- ISSN
- 1364-503X (ISSN-L)
- 1471-2962
- OpenAlex
- W2141841542
- Cited by
- 49
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution
- Keywords
- origin of life, RNA, self-replicating molecules, selection, exoplanets, extraterrestrial life
- MeSH terms
- Origin of Life, Extraterrestrial Environment, Selection, Genetic, Earth, Planet, Exobiology, Evolution, Molecular, Life, Evolution, Chemical
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