WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Earth and Life Science 11, Quarter 2 Week 1

How Life Came to Be

Learning Competency:
Explain the evolving concept of life based on emerging pieces of evidence (S11/12LT-IIa-1).

Specific Objectives:
1. Examine the different theories on the evolving concept of life;
2. Determine the new emerging evidence on the origin of life;
3. Investigate existing local stories about the origin of life; and
4. Synthesize information from different theories about the origin of life.

Key Concepts:

 Theory of Special Creation

- was proposed by Spanish monk Father Sudrez.
- According to this oldest theory, all the different forms of life that occur today on
Earth have been created by God. This idea is found in the ancient scriptures of
almost every religion.
- According to Christianity, God has created the whole world for six days and rested
in the seventh day. In Hinduism, God of creation is Brahma. He created different
forms of life from his body (More, 2020).

 Cosmozoic Theory
- Also called Panspermia Theory
- This idea was proposed by Richter (1865) and Helmholtz (1884) and supported
by Arrhenius (1908). According to this theory, life has reached planet Earth from
other heavenly bodies such as meteorites, in the form of highly resistant spores
of some microorganisms.
- The spores, called cosmozoa or panspermia, are preserved inside meteorites
coming to earth from the outer space. These meteorites struck the barren earth
to release the cosmozoa and developed into different creatures on the earth (More,
2020).

 Theory on Spontaneous Generation

- Also known as Theory of Abiogenesis or the Theory of Auto-biogenesis which
was proposed by Greek philosophers (600 B.C.) and supported by Aristotle
(384-322 B.C.).
- This theory assumed that living organisms could arise suddenly and
spontaneously from a non-living matter.
- Aristotle believed that dead leaves falling from a tree into a pond would transform
into fishes and those falling on soil would transform into worms and insects. He
also believed that some insects developed from morning dew and rotting manure.
Maggots from flesh, tapeworm from animal excreta, butterflies from cheese.
- Von Helmont said that he had prepared a ‘soup’ from which he could
spontaneously generate rats. The ‘soup’ consisted of a dirty shirt soaked in water
with a handful of wheat grains for 21 days.
- The idea of spontaneous generation was popular almost until the seventeenth
century. Many scientists like Descartes, Galileo and Helmont supported this
idea.
- This theory was disproved by Francisco Redi (1665), Spallanzani (1765), and
later by Louis Pasteur (1864) experimentally (More, 2020).

Author: Feliz Gayle L. Demegillo

School/Station: Buena Gracia National High School
Division: DepEd- Agusan del Sur
email address: [email protected]
  Biogenesis Theory

- Proposed by Francisco Redi, Lazzaro Spallanzani, and later supported by

Louis Pasteur.
- Proposes that life originated only from pre-existing life by reproduction and not
by non-living or lifeless matter.
- However, this theory could not explain the origin of the first life on earth but
could satisfactorily explain the continuity of life (More, 2020).

 Francisco Redi’s Experiment

- Italian physician Redi placed pieces of boiled meat in three identical jars.
He left one jar uncovered and allowed flies to come in contact with the
meat. He covered the second jar with cork and the third one with gauze.
The jars were kept undisturbed.

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/courses-images/wp-
content/uploads/sites/1094/2016/11/03153743/OSC_Microbio_03_01_Rediexpt.jpg

- His hypothesis was supported when maggots developed in the uncovered

jar, but no maggots appeared in either the gauze-covered or the tightly
sealed jars.
- He concluded that maggots could only form when flies were allowed to lay
eggs in the meat, and that the maggots were the offspring of flies, not the
product of spontaneous generation (More, 2020).

 Lazzaro Spallanzani’s Experiment

- Italian scientist Spallanzani poured hay infusion in eight bottles and
boiled all of them. He did not cover four bottles and the other four were
made airtight. He observed a thick layer of microorganisms in the open
bottles.
- He concluded that air contains microorganisms which came in contact
with the matter inside the open bottles and is the cause of contamination
and formation of microorganisms (More, 2020).

Author: Feliz Gayle L. Demegillo

School/Station: Buena Gracia National High School
Division: DepEd- Agusan del Sur
email address: [email protected]
 https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.timetoast.com/public/uploads/photos/8709463/slide_
75.jpg

 Louis Pasteur’s Experiment

- French Biochemist Pasteur made a series of flasks with long, twisted
necks (“swan-neck” flasks), in which he boiled broth to sterilize it. His
design allowed air inside the flasks to be exchanged with air from the
outside, but prevented the introduction of any airborne microorganisms,
which would get caught in the twists and bends of the flasks’ necks. If a
life force besides the airborne microorganisms were responsible for
microbial growth within the sterilized flasks, it would have access to the
broth, whereas the microorganisms would not.
- He correctly predicted that sterilized broth in his swan-neck flasks would
remain sterile as long as the swan necks remained intact. However, should
the necks be broken, microorganisms would be introduced, contaminating
the flasks and allowing microbial growth within the broth (Lumen
Learning, n.d.).

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/courses-images/wp-
content/uploads/sites/1094/2016/11/03153750/OSC_Microbio_03_01_Pasteur.jpg

Author: Feliz Gayle L. Demegillo

School/Station: Buena Gracia National High School
Division: DepEd- Agusan del Sur
email address: [email protected]
 TRY THIS!

Place a piece of bread in a plastic container and leave it for three days.
Observe what would happen to the bread. What do you see on the bread?
What brought them there?

 Oparin-Haldane’s Hypothesis
- In the 1920s, Russian scientist Aleksandr Oparin and English scientist J. B. S.
Haldane both separately proposed what's now called the Oparin-Haldane
hypothesis: that life on Earth could have arisen step-by-step from non-living matter
through a process of “gradual chemical evolution.”
- Oparin and Haldane thought that the early Earth had a reducing atmosphere,
meaning an oxygen-poor atmosphere in which molecules tend to donate
electrons. Under these conditions, they suggested that:
o Simple inorganic molecules could have reacted (with energy from lightning or
the sun) to form building blocks like amino acids and nucleotides, which could
have accumulated in the oceans, making a "primordial soup."
o The building blocks could have combined in further reactions, forming larger,
more complex molecules (polymers) like proteins and nucleic acids, perhaps
in pools at the water's edge.
o The polymers could have assembled into units or structures that were capable
of sustaining and replicating themselves. Oparin thought these might have
been “colonies” of proteins clustered together to carry out metabolism, while
Haldane suggested that macromolecules became enclosed in membranes to
make cell-like structures.
- The details of this model are probably not quite correct. For instance, geologists
now think the early atmosphere was not reducing, and it's unclear whether pools
at the edge of the ocean are a likely site for life's first appearance. But the basic
idea – a stepwise, spontaneous formation of simple, then more complex, then self-
sustaining biological molecules or assemblies – is still at the core of most origins-
of-life hypotheses today (Khan Academy, n.d.).

 Urey-Miller Hypothesis
- In 1953, Stanley Miller and Harold Urey did an experiment to test Oparin and
Haldane’s ideas. They found that organic molecules could be spontaneously
produced under reducing conditions thought to resemble those of early Earth.
- Miller and Urey built a closed system containing a heated pool of water and a
mixture of gases that were thought to be abundant in the atmosphere of early
earth (H20, NH3, CH4 and H2). To simulate the lightning that might have provided
energy for chemical reactions in Earth’s early atmosphere, Miller and Urey sent
sparks of electricity through their experimental system.

Image credit: "Miller and Urey's experiment," by CK-12 Foundation, CC BY-NC 3.0.

Author: Feliz Gayle L. Demegillo

School/Station: Buena Gracia National High School
Division: DepEd- Agusan del Sur
email address: [email protected]
 - After letting the experiment run for a week, Miller and Urey found that various
types of amino acids, sugars, lipids and other organic molecules had formed.
Large, complex molecules like DNA and protein were missing, but the Miller-Urey
experiment showed that at least some of the building blocks for these molecules
could form spontaneously from simple compounds (Khan Academy, n.d.).

 Fossils (evidence of past life, significance and important fossils)

- Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other
organisms from the past. Fossils range in age from 10,000 to 3.48 billion years
old. The observation that certain fossils were associated with certain rock strata
led 19th century geologists to recognize a geological timescale. Like extant
organisms, fossils vary in size from microscopic, like single-celled bacteria,
to gigantic, like dinosaurs and trees.
- Fossils provide solid evidence that organisms from the past are not the same as
those found today; fossils show a progression of evolution. Fossils, along with the
comparative anatomy of present-day organisms, constitute the morphological, or
anatomical record. By comparing the anatomies of both modern and extinct
species, paleontologists can infer the lineages of those species.
- This approach is most successful for organisms that had hard body parts, such
as shells, bones or teeth. The resulting fossil record tells the story of the past
and shows the evolution of form over millions of years (Lumen Learning, n.d.).

 Geologic Time Scale (emergence of life forms)

- Scientists have put together the Geologic Time Scale to describe the order and
duration of major events on Earth for the last 4.5 billion years. Some examples
of events listed on the Geologic Time Scale include the first appearance of
plant life on Earth, the first appearance of animals on Earth, the formation
of Earth’s mountains, and the extinction of the dinosaurs (Lumen Learning,
n.d.).

Exercises / Activities

Activity No. 1
What you need: paper and pen
What to do:
A. Multiple Choice Test: Choose the letter of the correct answer to the following questions.

1. Which of the following describes a theory?

A. An observation on something in the natural world
B. A belief shared with many scientists agreeing on the topic
C. A testable hypothesis or prediction that is potentially falsifiable
D. An experimental procedure of many observations, facts and results

2. What theory stated that everything on Earth was created by a Supreme Being?
A. Theory of Special Creation C. Big Bang Theory
B. Theory on Spontaneous Generation D. Cosmozoic Theory

3. Who among the following scientists was able to prove that air contains microorganisms
through his experiment?
A. Aristotle C. Lazzaro Spallanzani
B. Francisco Redi D. Louis Pasteur

4. Which theory assumed that living organisms can arise from non-living matter?
A. Abiogenesis Theory C. Oparin-Haldane’s Hypothesis
B. Biogenesis Theory D. Urey- Miller Hypothesis

Author: Feliz Gayle L. Demegillo

School/Station: Buena Gracia National High School
Division: DepEd- Agusan del Sur
email address: [email protected]
 5. Which theory stated that meteorites containing highly resistant spores struck the barren
earth releasing the spores which developed into different creatures?
A. Abiogenesis Theory C. Cosmozoic Theory
B. Big Bang Theory D. Theory on Spontaneous Creation

B. Fill in the Table: Fill in the table below with the missing details. The first one is done as
an example.

1-sentence Description of
Theory or Hypothesis Proponent
the Theory
1. Theory of Special Everything on Earth is
Father Sudrez
Creation created by a Supreme Being.

2. Oparin- Haldane’s Alexandr Oparin and J.B.S.

Hypothesis Haldane

Living organisms could arise

3. Greek Philosophers suddenly and spontaneously
from a non-living matter.
Life originated only from pre-
existing life by reproduction
4. Biogenesis Theory
and not by non-living or
lifeless matter.

5. Urey-Miller Stanley Urey and Harold

Hypothesis Miller

Life has reached planet

Earth from other heavenly
bodies such as meteorites,
6. Richter and Helmholtz
in the form of highly
resistant spores of some
microorganisms.

Activity No. 2 Investigative Diaries

Objectives: a. Determine the new emerging evidence on the origin of life; and
b. Investigate existing local stories about the origin of life

What you need: “New Evidence Emerges on the Origins of Life” article included in
this Activity Sheet

What to do:

1. Read and understand the article entitled “New Evidence Emerges on

the Origins of Life” from University of North Carolina Healthcare
attached in this Learning Activity Sheet. Take note of important ideas
found in the article.

2. Interview older members of the family or community about local

myths or legends about the origin of life.

Author: Feliz Gayle L. Demegillo

School/Station: Buena Gracia National High School
Division: DepEd- Agusan del Sur
email address: [email protected]
 Guide Questions:
Answer the following questions in 1-2 sentences only. (5 points each)

1. From the article that you have read, what was the new evidence that emerged
about the origin of life?

2. Which among the theories and hypotheses discussed (Theory of Special Creation,
Biogenesis Theory, Abiogenesis Theory, etc.) is the “new evidence” most related
to?

3. How did life start according to the older member of your family or community?
Are there scientific evidences about their story? Why or why not?

Rubric in Grading the Answers for Guide Questions

Criteria 5 4 3 2
Content is
Content is
comprehensive,
comprehensive, Content is less
accurate and Content is not
accurate and comprehensive,
Content and ideas are clearly comprehensive
ideas are clearly and ideas are
Organization stated and well and ideas are
stated and well not stated very
supported with not clear.
supported with clearly.
details and
details.
specific ideas.
Has committed Has committed
Grammar, Has committed
two-three more than five
punctuation and one grammatical
Mechanics grammatical or grammatical or
spelling used are or punctuation
punctuation or punctuation or
correct. or spelling error.
spelling error. spelling error.

Activity No. 3 Infographic Poster Making

Objective: Synthesize information from different theories about the origin of life.

What you need: magazines, newspapers, old books, art materials (pencil, crayons,
glue, scissors, etc), bond paper

What to do:
1. Create an infographic poster based on the topic assigned or chosen (choose only one
theory or hypothesis). Read through the key concepts provided as guide in making
your own synthesis. The infographic poster should be attractive and contain important
information. You are to synthesize the following details based on your understanding
and will have to say it on your own words.

2. The infographic poster should have the following details:

a. Topic/ Title and Proponent (Theory of Special Creation by Father Sudrez; Cosmozoic
Theory by Richter and Helmholtz; Abiogenesis Theory by Greek Philosophers;
Biogenesis Theory by Francisco Redi, Lazaro Spallanzani and Louis Pasteur; Oparin
and Haldane’s Hypothesis by Aleksandr Oparin and J. B. S. Haldane; Urey-Miller
Hypothesis by Stanley Miller and Harold Urey; Fossils and Geologic Time Scale)
b. 1 or 2 Leading questions (based on the topic, pose very important question/s; it
should be appealing to audience such that they would be encouraged to read through);
(e.g. When did the first life forms emerged? Does life come from life or non-life? Explain
how Francisco Redi proved the ‘Biogenesis’ theory.)
c. Content/ details (answers to leading questions and facts provided)
e. References

Author: Feliz Gayle L. Demegillo

School/Station: Buena Gracia National High School
Division: DepEd- Agusan del Sur
email address: [email protected]
 Note to Teacher:
For schools utilizing ODL, students may use MS Publisher or other photo
editing app such as Adobe Photoshop in doing the activity.

Rubric in Grading the Infographic Poster

Source: Teaching Guide for Senior High School Earth and Life Science, 172

Reflection

Your mother bought some meat from the market one day. She placed the meat in a pan
but forgot to place it in the freezer. After some time, maggots were seen crawling from the meat.
What can you say about these outcomes? What does this imply about how life started? With this
observation, do you think it is safe to leave our food uncovered? Write your 5-sentence answer in
a separate sheet of paper.

Rubric in Rating:

10 8 6 4 0
Practical Practical Practical Practical
application is application is application is application is
scientifically scientifically scientifically scientifically
explained explained explained explained but
No discussion.
consistent to the consistent to the consistent to with
concepts, and concepts, but with the concepts, inconsistent
has no minimal but with concepts.
misconception. misconception. misconception.

Author: Feliz Gayle L. Demegillo

School/Station: Buena Gracia National High School
Division: DepEd- Agusan del Sur
email address: [email protected]
References for learners:

Books

Akiatan, Melody. Earth and Life Science Quarter 2 Module 9 Introduction to Life Science First
Edition, 2020, Department of Education- Cagayan de Oro City Division, Cagayan de Oro
City, Philippines

Crisologo, Dawn, Dela Cruz, Aileen, Diaz, Genaleen, Dizon, Ernesto, Dizon, Zoraida, Estacion,
Janet, Guce, Justin Ray, Listanco, Eddie, Remotigue, Cristina, and Tabugo, Sharon Rose.
Teaching Guide for Senior High School Earth and Life Science, Commission on Higher
Education in collaboration with Philippine Normal University, Quezon City, Philippines

Internet Sources

More, Hemant. 2020. “Origin of Life.” Thefactfactor.

https://thefactfactor.com/facts/pure_science/biology/general-biology/theory-of-biogenesis-
of-origin-of-life/13652/ (accessed October 30, 2020)

University of North Carolina Health Care. "New evidence emerges on the origins of life."
ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150601172834.htm (accessed
November 5, 2020).

“Evidence of Evolution.” Lumen Learning.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-biology/chapter/evidence-of-evolution/
(accessed October 30, 2020)

“Geologic Time Scale.” Lumen Learning.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-earthscience/chapter/geologic-time-
scale/#:~:text=Scientists%20use%20the%20geologic%20time,events%20on%20Earth%20have
%20happened.&text=They%20used%20relative%20dating%20to%20divide%20Earth's%20pa
st%20in%20several,years%20ago%20that%20events%20happened. (accessed October 30,
2020)

“Hypotheses about the Origin of Life.”Khan Academy.

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/natural-selection/origins-of-life-on-
earth/a/hypotheses-about-the-origins-of-
life#:~:text=The%20Oparin%2DHaldane%20hypothesis%20suggests,combining%20to%20ma
ke%20complex%20polymers.&text=Some%20scientists%20support%20the%20RNA,life%20w
as%20self%2Dreplicating%20RNA (accessed October 30, 2020)

“Spontaneous Generation.” Lumen Learning.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/microbiology/chapter/spontaneous-generation/
(accessed October 30, 2020)

Author: Feliz Gayle L. Demegillo

School/Station: Buena Gracia National High School
Division: DepEd- Agusan del Sur
email address: [email protected]
 email address: [email protected]
Division: DepEd- Agusan del Sur
School/Station: Buena Gracia National High School
Author: Feliz Gayle L. Demegillo
Activity 1.
A.
1. B 2. A 3. C 4. A 5. C
B.
1-sentence Description of
Theory Proponent
the Theory
1. Theory of Special Everything on Earth is
Father Sudrez
Creation created by a Supreme Being.
Life on Earth could have
arisen step-by-step from
2. Oparin- Haldane’s Alexandr Oparin and J.B.S.
non-living matter through
Hypothesis Haldane
a process of “gradual
chemical evolution.”
3. Theory of Living organisms could arise
Spontaneous Greek Philosophers suddenly and spontaneously
Generation from a non-living matter.
Life originated only from pre-
Francisco Redi, Lazzaro
existing life by reproduction
4. Biogenesis Theory Spallanzani, Louis
and not by non-living or
Pasteur
lifeless matter.
Organic molecules could
be spontaneously
5. Urey-Miller Stanley Urey and Harold produced under reducing
Hypothesis Miller conditions thought to
resemble those of early
Earth.
Life has reached planet
Earth from other heavenly
6. Cosmozoic Theory/ bodies such as meteorites,
Richter and Helmholtz
Panspermia Theory in the form of highly
resistant spores of some
microorganisms.
Answer Key
 New evidence emerges on the origins of life
Date:
June 1, 2015
Source:
University of North Carolina Health Care
Summary:
New research shows that the close linkage between the physical properties of amino acids, the
genetic code, and protein folding was likely the key factor in the evolution from building blocks to
organisms when Earth's first life was emerging from the primordial soup.

In the beginning, there were simple chemicals. And they produced amino acids that eventually became the
proteins necessary to create single cells. And the single cells became plants and animals. Recent research
is revealing how the primordial soup created the amino acid building blocks, and there is widespread scientific
consensus on the evolution from the first cell into plants and animals. But it's still a mystery how the building
blocks were first assembled into the proteins that formed the machinery of all cells.

Now, two long-time University of North Carolina scientists -- Richard Wolfenden, PhD, and Charles Carter,
PhD -- have shed new light on the transition from building blocks into life some 4 billion years ago.
"Our work shows that the close linkage between the physical properties of amino acids, the genetic code,
and protein folding was likely essential from the beginning, long before large, sophisticated molecules arrived
on the scene," said Carter, professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the UNC School of Medicine. "This
close interaction was likely the key factor in the evolution from building blocks to organisms."
Their findings, published in companion papers in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, fly
in the face of the problematic "RNA world" theory, which posits that RNA -- the molecule that today plays
roles in coding, regulating, and expressing genes -- elevated itself from the primordial soup of amino acids
and cosmic chemicals to give rise first to short proteins called peptides and then to single-celled organisms.
Wolfenden and Carter argue that RNA did not work alone; in fact, it was no more likely that RNA catalyzed
peptide formation than it was for peptides to catalyze RNA formation.
The finding adds a new layer to the story of how life evolved billions of years ago.
Its name was LUCA
The scientific community recognizes that 3.6 billion years ago there existed the last universal common
ancestor, or LUCA, of all living things presently on Earth. It was likely a single-cell organism. It had a few
hundred genes. It already had complete blueprints for DNA replication, protein synthesis, and RNA
transcription. It had all the basic components -- such as lipids -- that modern organisms have. From LUCA
forward, it's relatively easy to see how life as we know it evolved.
Before 3.6 billion years, however, there is no hard evidence about how LUCA arose from a boiling caldron of
chemicals that formed on Earth after the creation of the planet about 4.6 billion years ago. Those chemicals
reacted to form amino acids, which remain the building blocks of proteins in our own cells today.
"We know a lot about LUCA and we are beginning to learn about the chemistry that produced building blocks
like amino acids, but between the two there is a desert of knowledge," Carter said. "We haven't even known
how to explore it."
The UNC research represents an outpost in that desert.
"Dr. Wolfenden established physical properties of the twenty amino acids, and we have found a link between
those properties and the genetic code," Carter said. "That link suggests to us that there was a second, earlier
code that made possible the peptide-RNA interactions necessary to launch a selection process that we can
envision creating the first life on Earth."

Author: Feliz Gayle L. Demegillo

School/Station: Buena Gracia National High School
Division: DepEd- Agusan del Sur
email address: [email protected]
Thus, Carter said, RNA did not have to invent itself from the primordial soup. Instead, even before there were
cells, it seems more likely that there were interactions between amino acids and nucleotides that led to the
co-creation of proteins and RNA.
Complexity from simplicity
Proteins must fold in specific ways to function properly. The first PNAS paper, led by Wolfenden, shows that
both the polarities of the twenty amino acids (how they distribute between water and oil) and their sizes help
explain the complex process of protein folding -- when a chain of connected amino acids arranges itself to
form a particular 3-dimensional structure that has a specific biological function.
"Our experiments show how the polarities of amino acids change consistently across a wide range of
temperatures in ways that would not disrupt the basic relationships between genetic coding and protein
folding," said Wolfenden, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics. This was important
to establish because when life was first forming on Earth, temperatures were hot, probably much hotter than
they are now or when the first plants and animals were established.
A series of biochemical experiments with amino acids conducted in Wolfenden's lab showed that two
properties -- the sizes as well as the polarities of amino acids -- were necessary and sufficient to explain how
the amino acids behaved in folded proteins and that these relationships also held at the higher temperatures
of Earth 4 billion years ago.
The second PNAS paper, led by Carter, delves into how enzymes called aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases
recognized transfer ribonucleic acid, or tRNA. Those enzymes translate the genetic code.
"Think of tRNA as an adapter," Carter said. "One end of the adapter carries a particular amino acid; the other
end reads the genetic blueprint for that amino acid in messenger RNA. Each synthetase matches one of the
twenty amino acids with its own adapter so that the genetic blueprint in messenger RNA faithfully makes the
correct protein every time."
Carter's analysis shows that the two different ends of the L-shaped tRNA molecule contained independent
codes or rules that specify which amino acid to select. The end of tRNA that carried the amino acid sorted
amino acids specifically according to size.
The other end of the L-shaped tRNA molecule is called the tRNA anticodon. It reads codons, which are
sequences of three RNA nucleotides in genetic messages that select amino acids according to polarity.
Wolfenden and Carter's findings imply that the relationships between tRNA and the physical properties of the
amino acids -- their sizes and polarities -- were crucial during the Earth's primordial era. In light of Carter's
previous work with very small active cores of tRNA synthetases called Urzymes, it now seems likely that
selection by size preceded selection according to polarity. This ordered selection meant that the earliest
proteins did not necessarily fold into unique shapes, and that their unique structures evolved later.
Carter said, "Translating the genetic code is the nexus connecting pre-biotic chemistry to biology."
He and Wolfenden believe that the intermediate stage of genetic coding can help resolve two paradoxes:
how complexity arose from simplicity, and how life divided the labor between two very different kinds of
polymers: proteins and nucleic acids.
"The fact that genetic coding developed in two successive stages -- the first of which was relatively simple --
may be one reason why life was able to emerge while the earth was still quite young," Wolfenden noted.
An earlier code, which enabled the earliest coded peptides to bind RNA, may have furnished a decisive
selective advantage. And this primitive system could then undergo a natural selection process, thereby
launching a new and more biological form of evolution.
"The collaboration between RNA and peptides was likely necessary for the spontaneous emergence of
complexity," Carter added. "In our view, it was a peptide-RNA world, not an RNA-only world."
The National Institutes of Health funded this work. Dr. Wolfenden holds a joint appointment in the department
of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Author: Feliz Gayle L. Demegillo

School/Station: Buena Gracia National High School
Division: DepEd- Agusan del Sur
email address: [email protected]