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  1. More Images

    RNA world

    The RNA world is a hypothetical stage in the evolutionary history of life on Earth in which self-replicating RNA molecules proliferated before the evolution of DNA and proteins. The term also refers to the hypothesis that posits the existence of this stage. Alexander Rich first proposed the concept of the RNA world in 1962, and Walter Gilbert coined the term in 1986. Among the characteristics of RNA that suggest its original prominence are that:

    • Like DNA, RNA can store and replicate genetic information. Although RNA is considerably more fragile than DNA, some ancient RNAs may have evolved the ability to methylate other RNAs to protect them. The concurrent formation of all four RNA building blocks further strengthens the hypothesis.…
    • Enzymes made of RNA can catalyze chemical reactions that are critical for life, so it is conceivable that in an RNA world, ribozymes might have preceded enzymes made of protein.…
    Wikipedia

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  2. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

    National Center for Biotechnology Information

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › books › NBK26876

    A Pre-RNA World Probably Predates the RNA World. Although RNA seems well suited to form the basis for a self-replicating set of biochemical catalysts, it is unlikely that RNA was the first kind of molecule to do so. From a purely chemical standpoint, it is difficult to imagine how long RNA molecules could be formed initially by purely nonenzymatic means.
  3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

    The presumed RNA World should be viewed as a milestone, a plateau in the early history of life on Earth. So too, the concept of an RNA World has been a milestone in the scientific study of life's origins. While this concept does not explain how life originated, it has helped to guide scientific thinking and has served to focus experimental efforts.
  4. Mar 8, 2024The RNA World Hypothesis. The concept of an "RNA World," proposed in the 1960s by visionaries like Salk Fellow Leslie Orgel, suggests an era where simpler RNA molecules set the stage for Darwinian evolution on early Earth. Recent breakthroughs at the Salk Institute have propelled this hypothesis forward.
  5. sciencedaily.com

    Mar 4, 2024Scientists at the Salk Institute show that RNA can replicate and evolve on its own, providing fresh insights on the origins of life. They develop an RNA polymerase ribozyme that can copy and improve functional RNA strands, and aim to create autonomous RNA life in the laboratory.
  6. nobelprize.org

    The RNA World referred to an hypothetical stage in the origin of life on Earth. During this stage, proteins were not yet engaged in biochemical reactions and RNA carried out both the information storage task of genetic information and the full range of catalytic roles necessary in a very primitive self-replicating system. Gilbert pointed out ...

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