Origin of Life Essay

Total Length: 633 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 0

Page 1 of 2

Origin of Life

When Watson and Crick discovered DNA, double nucleotide chains containing the "language" of life, scientists had new information on which to base further research about the way living cells function and, in turn, the origins of life. In a 2007 article for Scientific American, Robert Shapiro explains why Watson and Crick's discovery did not provide the definitive answer to one of science's most provocative questions, as scientists had hoped.

One of the major problems to be resolved in discovering the origin of life is akin to the age-old question about which came first, the chicken or the egg. The discovery of RNA seemed to provide a plausible explanation. RNA, a class of molecules, carries information from DNA to cell structures. Scientists were poised to accept that RNA was the self-replicating molecule providing the catalyst for life. The question still remained: how did the first RNA arise? The spontaneity required for self-replication to suddenly take place goes well beyond scientific inquiry, some argue, and into the realm of improbability.
The group of scientists who believe in the replicator model have yet to show how a complex molecule could have formed initially. There are theories that certain compounds joined together by chance to form a molecule that could somehow self-replicate. Through an evolutionary process, the molecules mutated and adapted, eventually forming more complex organisms in which different parts performed different functions. The diagram provided by Shapiro shows, disorganized molecules organize into chains that mutate, surviving a selection process, and eventually organizing into organisms with compartments. As stated, this scenario is still considered theoretical; scientists have not established proof.

Likewise, proof does not exist the alternative theory of metabolism first, which holds that "compartmentalized" organisms formed spontaneously; particular compartments were capable of the kind of functions necessary to generate reaction networks leading to growth and evolution.

Shapiro outlines five truths that must be accommodated….....

Show More ⇣


     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


Related Essays

Religion in Ancient Greece

politics and culture to family, morals, agriculture, festivals, games, as well as beliefs about nature and the origin of life (Carr). The Greeks strongly believed that there were invisible, all-powerful gods and goddesses that controlled every occurrence. As a society, therefore, it was important to maintain a good relationship with the gods through prayer, sacrifice, and leading a good (morally upright) life. The prayers and sacrifices were made in sacred sites and temples where the gods were erected in their personified forms (Cartwright). Gods were also believed to reside in mountains. Religion in ancient Greece was strongly tied to natural phenomena like rain, storms, plagues, earthquakes, and… Continue Reading...

sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Origin Of Life" (2013, February 23) Retrieved June 4, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/origin-life-103846

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Origin Of Life" 23 February 2013. Web.4 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/origin-life-103846>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Origin Of Life", 23 February 2013, Accessed.4 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/origin-life-103846