Re: DNA before RNA in OOL?


"tinyurl.com/uh3t" <rem642b@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:d2ngu2$2nof$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > From: "Perplexed in Peoria" <jimmenegay@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Isn't it possible that DNA was the first genetic polymer?
>
> Possible, but not likely. Did you see the speculation I posted a few
> months ago about how the early replicators might have later
> polymerized? Given these early replicators were just whatever happened
> to be catalytic loops with fecundity greater than one, its highly
> unlikely they were either DNA or RNA.

No, I didn't see that (or don't remember it if I did see it. In order to
have a genetic polymer, ISTM that you need four things.

1. A source of energy to drive the polymerization.
2. Heritable variation in genotype. (i.e. a heteropolymer with some kind
of template replication).
3. Heritable variation in phenotype. (i.e. the polymer does something that
influences fitness).
4. An organism to which the "gene" applies.

Did your proposal address all four of these issues?

Other people might dispute whether item #4 belongs in the list. But it
seems to me that a naked, selfish gene is better considered an organism
in itself, rather than a gene. But that is semantics, and not worth
arguing about.


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: The argument of God from DNA being code
    ... since code is the type of thing that results from coder and is not ... DNA is code therefore there had to be a coder. ... Any heterogeneous polymer can carry a code. ... would you design the current one? ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Where does information come from?
    ... Is he asking for the origin of DNA? ... long polymer of ABABn, ... preA and preB to form a long polymer of ABABn, ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Faradaic Activity in Dental Amalgams
    ... > and was the original "artificial polymer" although no one knew the ... > exact chemical composition at the time of its discovery. ... Can you imaging a telephone case made of DNA? ...
    (sci.med.dentistry)
  • Re: No Grace Period for Metabolism Either
    ... and later the original polymer was replaced by ... > RNA or DNA or polypeptides, and if not DNA then later it was replaced ... I would point out that we still see RNA as well ... ordinary chemical processes, not replication. ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)