Is it possible life began in ice?
Did life begin in ice? Researchers quoted in the World Science Magazine say that it is possible for life to exist in places much colder than Earth. The possibility exists that early in the known history of earth, temperatures were much colder and freezing was likely. This theory, like many others, has been around for a number of years. One might be curious and wonder, how can life exist below freezing temperatures, if life as we know it would cease to exist, from ailments such as hypothermia? Scientists agree that freezing temperatures could have played an important role in the chemical reactions that led to life. Does this mean life did not begin with Adam and Eve? Perhaps Adam and Eve were the first created from molecules?
Some experts believe that comets and meteors slammed the earth repeatedly in the beginning of early earth and chemical molecules combined to jumpstart life. The chemical molecules the experts are referring to are known as Ribonucleic acid, or RNA. Some theories state that this self-replicating molecule, RNA may have slowed down its molecular breakdown when the earth’s temperatures were below freezing. While freezing slows down some of RNA”S breakdown, the cold temperature actually speeds up some of RNA”S key activities, such as metabolism and cell formation. Warmer conditions tend to affect RNA molecules by preventing the buildup of complex molecules needed to conduct life processes. So where did life come from, since the earth has definitely been affected by global warming?
After reading this article I believed that the theory has been around along time, based on the scientific explanation of the big bang theory. I believe RNA is self –replicating, but resulting in creating life due to a chemical reaction doesn’t seem like it could be possible. Life feels much more on a grander scale than molecules colliding and happening at random.
Reference:
A.V Vlassov, S.A. Kazakov, B.H. Johnston, L.F. Landweber, 2005. The RNA World on ice: A New Scenario for the Emergence of RNA Information. J. Mol Evol. Jul 21.
World Science. 09, Aug. 2005.
