Peptides, Vital to Life, Form Readily From Amino Acids

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Michael Watson

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Message 2107991 - Posted: 4 Oct 2022, 15:27:59 UTC
Last modified: 4 Oct 2022, 15:30:20 UTC

The problem: How can amino acids, such as those formed in space and brought to Earth by meteorites, form into peptides? Peptides are essential in protein production, and so, life as we know it. This problem has apparently been solved.

We expect that peptide formation would occur in water, but water blocks this process. It's now been discovered that sea water, breaking against a shore provides small dry areas within it, where peptides can readily form.

The formation of other complex molecules, essential to life, involve similar chemistries, and may well be readily formed in a very similar manner.

It seems that pessimism, emphasizing how difficult it is for life to form, has been pushed back by this new finding. This would presumably apply to other planets with suitable conditions, not just Earth.

Please find a link to an article or this new finding, below:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7z4g8/scientists-breakthrough-origin-of-life-could-change-everything
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Profile Jon Golding
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Message 2108369 - Posted: 11 Oct 2022, 21:10:51 UTC - in response to Message 2107991.  

Although "breaking against a shore" implies that exoplanets with moons capable of creating tides might be necessary or desirable.
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Message boards : SETI@home Science : Peptides, Vital to Life, Form Readily From Amino Acids


 
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