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Laboratory Simulation of an IronII-rich Precambrian Marine Upwelling System to Explore the Growth of Photosynthetic Bacteria
Published on: July 24, 2016
Boron in Prebiological Evolution
Ana Franco1, José Armando L da Silva1
1Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal.
Abstract:
Boron(III), as borate (or boric acid), mediates the synthesis of ribose, ribonucleosides, and ribonucleotides. These reactions are carried out under moderate temperatures (typically 70-95 °C) with organic molecules (or their derivatives) detected in interstellar space and inorganic ions found in minerals on Earth (and could occur during early stages of prebiotic evolution). Research in this century suggests that borate was a relevant prebiological reagent, thus reinforcing the RNA world hypothesis as an explanation for the origin of life. Herein, these developments on prebiological chemistry related to boron species are reviewed.
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