Life & Consciousness

RNA World Hypothesis

mainstream Contemporary 1968 (Woese, Crick, Orgel); named 1986

Proposes that early life relied on RNA both to store genetic information and catalyze reactions, before DNA and proteins took over those roles separately.

Proponents

Carl Woese, Francis Crick, Leslie Orgel, Walter Gilbert

Evidence For

Discovery of ribozymes (catalytic RNA) shows RNA can act as both information carrier and enzyme, closing the "chicken-and-egg" gap between genes and proteins.

Evidence Against

Prebiotic synthesis of stable RNA nucleotides in plausible early-Earth conditions is chemically difficult and not fully demonstrated.

Real Sources

Wikipedia: RNA world
NIH: Ribozymes overview

Transmissions

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