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From Light to Life.

Paul G Falkowski1

  • 1Environmental Biophysics and Molecular Ecology Program, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA, falko@marine.rutgers.edu.

Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere : the Journal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life
|June 25, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study explores the evolution of biological redox reaction centers, the "transistors" driving Earth's biogeochemical cycles. It links their development to early mineral-based photochemistry, revealing the origins of life's energy metabolism.

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Area of Science:

  • Biogeochemistry
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Geochemistry

Background:

  • Biogeochemical cycles of H, C, N, O, and S are fundamentally linked by biologically catalyzed redox reactions.
  • These reactions occur far from thermodynamic equilibrium, indicating an evolutionary driving force.
  • Biological redox centers, termed

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary history of structural motifs enabling biological redox reactions.
  • To explore the connection between these biological structures and early mineral photochemistry.
  • To understand the origins of biological energy transduction.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of redox-center structures across the tree of life.
  • Examination of mineral photochemistry relevant to early Earth conditions.
  • Tracing the evolutionary trajectory of biological electron transfer mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Identification of conserved structural motifs for redox reactions across diverse life forms.
  • Evidence suggesting photochemistry on minerals preceded and influenced biological redox evolution.
  • Elucidation of the link between abiotic mineral reactions and the emergence of biological energy metabolism.

Conclusions:

  • Biological redox centers evolved in conjunction with, and were likely driven by, early mineral photochemistry.
  • This evolutionary pathway established the foundation for Earth's major biogeochemical cycles.
  • Understanding these ancient processes offers insights into the origin and evolution of life.