Assumption and Criticism on RNA World Hypothesis from Ribozymes to Functional Cells

Abstract

The origin of life has long baffled scientists, trying to shed some light on the universe of the unknown we live in. The RNA world hypothesis is merely an idea that tries to grasp the root of life by going beyond phylogenetic trees, and the 'Drawinian threshold'. The birth of this hypothesis came with the discovery of ribozymes and certain relic molecules left behind by an RNA ruled world about-3.8 billion years ago. These primitive cells were the most minimal forms of life and experiments are trying to show this by mimicking primitive earth environments. Nucleotides have been shown to polymerize into random chains easily on clay or in ice and the chemical synthesis of RNA is possible although extremely challenging without the modern cellular machinery. The RNA world is untraceable because of horizontal gene transfer, which is highly criticized by researches, and still remains a widely researched and studied topic as it could be the heart of life on other earth like planets in the universe. The state of the model needs improvements in analytical techniques and experiments for the rate of Horizontal Gene Transfer on loosely bound components, and continued comparison of the different types of phylogenetic trees to widen the evolution of the genetic core. Furthermore the development of analytical techniques used for the monitoring of the Donan effect may show more insight into the division and growth of primitive cellular membranes and the continued research and exploration in the fields of Ribozymes, with a goal to reach a higher catalytic range with high fidelity and rate.