I am a microbiologist and molecular biologist turned tenured biotech faculty turned bioinformatics scientist turned entrepreneur. My passion is developing instructional materials for 21st century biology (
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Before mammals, before dinosaurs, before bacteria, or plants, there was something else; a protocell containing RNA.
The Exploring Origins Project has excellent animations of protocells, a timeline of life's evolution, and best of all- fantastic animations of the RNA world.
You can see how RNA folds, ribozymes (RNA that catalyzes chemical reactions), and learn about the role of RNA when the Earth was young.
BTW- I made this ribozyme image with Cn3D. The RNA is synthetic - made by humans with machines, that is, and this molecule can cut chemical bonds.
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Wow! I love that website's animations!
It's funny, the more I read about the role of RNA--everything from tiny RNA's to ERV's--the more I realize that we're still living in an RNA world. DNA and proteins (from RNA's perspective) are just tools that RNA uses to do its bidding more efficiently.
It's also funny, the more I read about abiogenesis, the more I realize that all those chemical reactions and interactions are still going on today. Abiogenesis wasn't some event that once happened and then gave way to evolution; abiogenesis is an ongoing process that has existed ever since there have been organic molecules in aqueous environments.
Posted by: The Science Pundit | November 7, 2008 10:42 AM