Inosine May Be the Missing Ingredient in the Origins of Life

As scientists continue to try and figure out how the world started and how life formed in the beginning, some theories have emerged to explain the phenomenon. One of those theories is the RNA world hypothesis which states that early chemical reactions formed these self-replicating RNA which then became the basis for the origins of life.

In trying to test out the hypothesis, scientists found that there may have been one ingredient in RNA that is not found in modern RNA but was perhaps quite crucial during the early stages of the universe. Early RNA, they say, included a chemical called inosine.

They were able to find out about this by replicating conditions found in a freshwater lake or pond, a volcanic lake, or a crater lake. Then they added the RNA and observed its reactions. Inserting the inosine, they found that the RNA's reactions sped up compared to the usual nucleobase pairings that we have today.

Some scientists believe that this may not be the only chemical that was involved at the beginning of everything.

Sutherland also noted that the field is generally moving on from a pure "RNA world hypothesis" into one that sees more components mixed into the cauldron that created life. Those include lipids, peptides, proteins and energy sources. He added that in researchers' minds, "It's a less purist RNA world than it used to be."

Learn more on Live Science.

(Image credit: NASA/U. S. Geological Survey/Norman Kuring/Kathryn Hansen via Live Science)


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You could argue about which elements were there when life started. The more interesting question is "why would nothing suddenly have the desire or momentum to be something?" "Did nothing suddenly birth the concept of consciousness?" I believe no matter how far back you go, no matter how you frame it, it always comes to "something". Unless my tiny human brain just can't handle the idea of everything coming from nothing.
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