Abstract
A largely historical treatment of how the evolutionary sequence to the first synthesis of life under terrestrial conditions, as retraced in the laboratory, is presented. The insights of such pioneers as Pasteur on self-organization of matter to “beings” are related. The recent acknowledgment of fruitless attempts by experts in DNA-first. RNA-first. and in irrelevance of the concept of random beginnings are cited. Updating of origins from amino acid-instructed genetically primary thermal protein is detailed. The essence of the finding of internal nonrandomness is emphasized, as well as the critical nature of studying the initial steps of molecular evolution in a synthetic direction. The total flowsheet for amino acid precursors ➔ protocell = protoneuron is updated. The results of experiments are tested against the characteristics of life as it is usually defined: metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli such as light.
Experimentally derived reasons for inferring that the origin of excitability and conscious mind were co-existent with the origin of the membranous cell are given. The principal source of excitability is found from flavins formed by heating of amino acid mixtures containing excitatory aspartic acid and glutamic acid which copolymerize thermally.
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Fox, S.W., Bahn, P.R., Pappelis, A., Yu, B. (1996). Experimental Retracement of Terrestrial Origin of an Excitable Cell: Was it Predictable? . In: Chela-Flores, J., Raulin, F. (eds) Chemical Evolution: Physics of the Origin and Evolution of Life. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1712-5_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1712-5_2
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