Origin of life

The 1st scientific account of Origin of life-------given by Aleksandr 1. Oparin (Russian) in 1924 & J.B.S. Haldane (English) IDEA:--------Ever changing environmental conditions bring gradual evolution of first inorganic and then organic compounds as a result of series of long physcio-chemical changes. 1st step: Origin of Earth 5-6 billion years ago, cosmic dust or broken off from sun Condensed and formed Earth & entire solar system Like a fiery spinning ball of hot gases Condensed into a molten core and different stratified layers according to the densities of elements (e.g. Centre solid core by heavy metals, like iron, nickel, copper etc. Around the core medium weight atoms, like Na, K, Si, Al, Mg, S etc, future lithosphere and primitive atmosphere by light gases, like H, O, Ar, C, N.) 2nd step: Origin of simple inorganic compounds Temperature of Earth was 5000-6000 C So, H, O, C & N combine with metals and form oxides, carbides and nitrides in gaseous state and superheated steam in primitive atmosphere of Earth As the Earth starts to cool Its matter starts to condense into liquids & solids and three states of matter coexist, superheated steam condensed into water (drops of rain) and again evaporated and returned to atmosphere this cycle continues About 3 billion years ago, formation of solid crust by volcanoes and areas filled up by hot sea water with dissolved ammonia, methane, minerals and salt In primitive Earth Large quantities of H, N, Co2, Methane, ammonia and water was present But no free O

3rd step: Origin of organic compounds The atmosphere was cooled down to 1000 C Various saturated & unsaturated hydrocarbons were formed Hydrocarbons + superheated steam=oxy- & hydroxy derivatives, like aldehydes, ketones & acids Formed several organic molecules, like sugars, glycerol, fatty acids, amino acids and nitrogenous organic (purines & pyridines) due to condensation and polymerization The above complex organic molecules were not oxidized or putrefied due to absence of free O & bacteria But formed more and more complex compounds by progressively reacting and combining with each other, e.g., polysaccharides, fats, proteins, nucleosides and nucleotides The nucleotides linked together in different way and formed nucleic acids

nucleic acids + protein molecules=giant molecules of nucleoproteinsspeeded up the aggregation by the action of primitive enzyme, like polypeptides (so the macromolecules, like proteins, carbohydrates, fats, nucleic acids, etc are the main constituents of the life substance or protoplasmpossibilities of origin of life in the primitive ocean) Hot dilute soup: The synthesis of carbohydrates, fats and amino acids and other complex organic compounds presumably took place in sea. This mixture of sea water is called the Hot dilute soup ----according to J.B.S. Haldane. Miller-Ureys Experiment Abiotic origin of biomolecules ------by classical experiment of Stanley Miller & Harold C Urey Proved the Oparin-Haldane concept of origin of life They created a primitive earth in the laboratory A spark-discharge apparatus 2 tungsten electrodes, connected to an electric source-fitted to a large flask to provide energy of electric discharge, stimulating the effect of lightening of the primitive atmosphere The larger flask was connected to a small U-tube by means of a straight tube passing through a condenser An atmosphere containing H, ammonia, methane and water vapor was created in the large flask and subjected to electric discharge for a few days and allowed to pass through a condenser to accumulate the liquid in another chamber and thus formed complex organic compounds, like glycin, alanine, aspartic acids This experiment indicated that abiogenic synthesis of various organic compounds is possible from the reducing mixture of simple gases Free O would destroy most intermediate products in such synthesis So the presence of O and living organisms on the earth at present prevent the abiotic origin of life (This suggests that the life originally arose from the inorganic molecules on the primitive earth, but today life comes from only pre-existing life) 4th step: Origin of colloids, coacervates and individualityThe organic macromolecules aggregated into various combinations due to intermolecular attraction and precipitated out in aqueous medium in the form of large colloidal particles, called coacervates Coacervates They have more than one type of proteins, nucleoproteins and other organic & inorganic molecules in various combinations As an individual structure, coacervates have been looked upon as first precursors of the first organisms (protoplasm is also a colloid system) Coacervates were later surrounded by a limiting membrane, like lecithin, cephalin Then various substances accumulated inside the coacervates and they also started to absorb organic substances from ocean soup They became anaerobic heterotrophsgrew in sizebecame variable in chemical compositionmultiplied by breaking down into smaller droplets after attaining an optimum growth depending on their viscosity.

5th step: Origin of autocatalytic systems, genes, viruses and primordial life By self duplicating (autocatalytic) system, nucleoproteins appeared in Primitive Ocean They steadily increased in ocean soup and were capable to perform hereditary function So first sign of perpetuating life was displayed by nucleic acids The nucleotides monomers of the nucleic acids presumably first formed only small chains (comparable to the present day gene) A number of such genes may have aggregated to form protovirus (comparable to the present day virus) These protoviruses had access to all necessary substances for their duplication in the oceanic water (protoviruses were called most primitive or primordial organisms) 3.7 billion of Years ago (Precambrian era) 1st organisms were heterotrophic, anaerobic and virus like nucleoprotein structures 6th step: Origin of primordial cellular forms of life (Prokaryots) Following the formation of self duplicating system in the form of nucleoproteins In suitable condition, cell like organisms existed in the primitive ocean According to Oparin, coacervates with nucleoproteins became the first cellular organisms (comparable with the bacteria of today) 7th step: Origin of autotrophism Early bacteria like prokaryots (anaerobic heterotrophs) gradually consumed all abiotically synthesized organic nutrients of the oceanic soup Struggled for existence Some prokaryots synthesized simple carbohydrates from inorganic substances of oceanic water by acquiring enzymes to act as catalysis beginning of autotrophism for this, energy was obtained from anaerobic breakdown, so early autotrophism is said to chemoautotrophism ( this anaerobic autotrophs can be compared with certain deep sea sulphur bacteria of today) Later, certain autotrophic bacteria-like primitive organisms synthesized chlorophyll-like green pigments (bacteriochlorophyll) from magnesium porphyrin of the oceanic water. These pigments could absorb sunlight for synthesis of carbohydrates (like some planktonic sulphur bacteria today show photosynthetic autotrophism) Subsequently, certain changes in molecular structure of bacteriochlorophylls occurred Formed true chlorophyll, which became organized into lamellar units together with the enzymes of the photosynthetic system Thus, the early prokaryots enabled to synthesize carbohydrates by using water in place of sulphides or other organic molecules (This chlorophyll bearing prokaryots of Primitive Ocean can be compared with the present day blue-green algae)

8th step: Origin of eukaryotic cells Blue-green algae (prokaryots) Liberated free O into primitive atmosphere Free O oxidized methane and ammoniaformed Co2, N and water (reducing environment became oxidizing) Hence, the composition of primitive atmosphere changed to that of present atmosphere The free O formed a layer of ozone above the sunlight blocking the U-V light Thus the environment became suitable for the organisms to migrate from water to land. Atmosphere became suitable for aerobic respiration (about 27 billion years ago) The prokaryots gradually developed a true nucleus, mitochondria and other specialized organelles Thus free-living eukaryotic cell-like organisms originated in the primitive ocean (15 billion years ago) Major events in the history of the earth Formation of earth Chemical evolution Organic evolution unicellular forms Produce (atmosphere was oxygen free) photosynthesis Multicellular forms (oxygen from photosynthesis) oxygen accumulates in atmospherefree oxygen

Evolution
More and more complex life forms evolved with the change in the atmosphere of the earth. Evolution natural occurring process slow continuous irreversible process of change complex forms emerge from simpler forms over millions of years occurs through variations arising from changes in genetic material and from natural selection biological evolution began with the formation of the first true cells higher forms of organisms evolved from lower ones

summery
no free oxygen in the atmosphere the first true cells lived at the expense of organic molecules available in the waters surrounded them as nutrients were depleted, the first cells started to make their own food by using Co2 and energy from light (photosynthesis) today, diversity of plants & animals came from simple single celled organisms so all life forms are interrelated