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The asymmetry of life

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Summary

Stereoselective physical phenomena and their possible importance for the prevalence of D-sugars and L-aminoacids in living matter are reviewed. A classification is presented according to which a selective force provides a microscopic or macroscopic selection depending on its generality when taken over a macrosystem (a ‘unitary biosphere’ such as the Earth). The microscopic ‘selections’ are not genuine selections because the final sense of asymmetry is here determined by chance, in other words the initial choice is ‘random’, while it is ‘directed’ in the macroscopic selection. Two macroscopic selections appear possible:

  1. 1.

    selection due to an intrinsic energy difference between enantiomorph configurations, 2. selection accomplished by elliptically polarised radiation.

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  1. Department of Inorganic Chemistry 1, University of Lund, Chemical Center, P.O. Box 740, S-220 07, Lund, Sweden

    Bengt Nordén

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Nordén, B. The asymmetry of life. J Mol Evol 11, 313–332 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01733840

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