Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Binary Fission01:20

Binary Fission

Fission is the division of a single entity into two or more parts, which regenerate into separate entities that resemble the original. Organisms in the Archaea and Bacteria domains reproduce using binary fission, in which a parent cell splits into two parts that can each grow to the size of the original parent cell. This asexual method of reproduction produces cells that are all genetically identical.
Binary Fission01:26

Binary Fission

Binary fission is the primary mode of asexual reproduction in prokaryotes, such as bacteria. It results in the production of two genetically identical daughter cells. This highly efficient process ensures the rapid propagation of bacterial populations under favorable conditions and involves coordinated cellular and molecular events.DNA Replication and SeparationThe process begins with the replication of the bacterial chromosome. The circular DNA molecule unwinds at a specific origin of...
Asexual Reproduction02:38

Asexual Reproduction

Asexual reproduction allows plants to reproduce without growing flowers, attracting pollinators, or dispersing seeds. Offspring are genetically identical to the parent and produced without the fusion of male and female gametes.
Replication in Prokaryotes01:32

Replication in Prokaryotes

DNA replication has three main steps: initiation, elongation, and termination. Replication in prokaryotes begins when initiator proteins bind to the single origin of replication (ori) on the cell's circular chromosome. Replication then proceeds around the entire circle of the chromosome in each direction from the two replication forks, resulting in two DNA molecules.
Many Proteins Work Together to Replicate the Chromosome
Replication is coordinated and carried out by a host of specialized...
Replication in Prokaryotes02:35

Replication in Prokaryotes

Overview
Replication in Prokaryotes02:35

Replication in Prokaryotes

Overview

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Agnostic material classification using differential de Bruijn graphs of DNA imprints.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

The Origin of Life in the Light of Evolution.

ArXiv·2026
Same author

Overestimating zero-shot fitness prediction: Broad benchmarks mask local failures and practical limitations.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Integrating Transcription Factors with Electrochemical Pendulum Bioanalysis for Hormone Detection.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Fieldable isothermal nucleic acid test for rapid semi-quantitative visual readout of enterococci in recreational waters.

PeerJ·2026
Same author

Validation and analysis of 12,000 AI-driven CAR-T designs in the <i>Bits to Binders</i> competitions.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same journal

Design Principles for Negative Thermal Expansion in Two-Dimensional Materials.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
Same journal

Main Group Redox Catalysis: New Frontiers with Germanium and Tin.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
Same journal

Taming Irreversibility in sp<sup>2</sup>-Carbon-Conjugated COFs from Polycrystalline Powders to Single Crystals and Thin Films.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
Same journal

Electroactive Imidazolium Ionic Liquids in Organic Synthesis.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
Same journal

Calix[4]resorcinarene-Based Porous Organic Cages: Synthesis and Applications.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
Same journal

Light-Driven Dual Rotary Molecular Motors and Beyond.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Biomimetic Replication of Root Surface Microstructure using Alteration of Soft Lithography
05:53

Biomimetic Replication of Root Surface Microstructure using Alteration of Soft Lithography

Published on: August 5, 2020

Abiotic self-replication.

Adam J Meyer1, Jared W Ellefson, Andrew D Ellington

  • 1Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.

Accounts of Chemical Research
|August 16, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The origins of life likely began with simple chemical replication and evolved through RNA replicators. Molecular parasites drove the development of cellular compartments and eventually protein enzymes for complex life.

More Related Videos

Antibiotic Dereplication Using the Antibiotic Resistance Platform
10:49

Antibiotic Dereplication Using the Antibiotic Resistance Platform

Published on: October 17, 2019

Kinetics of Lagging-strand DNA Synthesis In Vitro by the Bacteriophage T7 Replication Proteins
08:14

Kinetics of Lagging-strand DNA Synthesis In Vitro by the Bacteriophage T7 Replication Proteins

Published on: February 25, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Biomimetic Replication of Root Surface Microstructure using Alteration of Soft Lithography
05:53

Biomimetic Replication of Root Surface Microstructure using Alteration of Soft Lithography

Published on: August 5, 2020

Antibiotic Dereplication Using the Antibiotic Resistance Platform
10:49

Antibiotic Dereplication Using the Antibiotic Resistance Platform

Published on: October 17, 2019

Kinetics of Lagging-strand DNA Synthesis In Vitro by the Bacteriophage T7 Replication Proteins
08:14

Kinetics of Lagging-strand DNA Synthesis In Vitro by the Bacteriophage T7 Replication Proteins

Published on: February 25, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Origin of Life Studies
  • Molecular Evolution
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Replication of information is central to life's origins.
  • Linear polymers like nucleic acids carry information and replicate.
  • Discrete mutation capability may be essential for Darwinian evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Examine in vitro systems of increasing complexity.
  • Investigate the molecular origins of life.
  • Compare simple chemical replicators to complex in vitro transcription-translation systems.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of in vitro chemical replication systems.
  • Study of template-directed polymerization.
  • Examination of RNA replicase and ribozyme functions.
  • Investigation of in vitro transcription and translation systems.

Main Results:

  • Early replication likely involved template-assisted joining (A + B → T).
  • Faster replicating variants dominated populations, leading to complex replicators and genomes.
  • An RNA world emerged with ribozymes facilitating replication.
  • Molecular parasites likely drove the evolution of cellular compartments.

Conclusions:

  • The journey from abiotic origins to molecular biology involved stages of chemical replication, RNA world, compartmentalization, and protein enzyme outsourcing.
  • Darwinian evolution may require quantized mutation, challenging tautological definitions of life.
  • Understanding these in vitro systems provides insights into life's molecular beginnings.