Did template-directed nucleation precede molecular replication?
- 1 March 1986
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Nature in Discover Life
- Vol. 17 (1) , 27-34
- https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01809810
Abstract
It is proposed that mononucleotides incorporated into the surfaces of microcrystals of inorganic phosphates such as hydroxyapatite can act as templates to assemble complementary mononucleotides from solution, and that the phosphate groups of the assembled nucleotides can facilitate nucleation of a second hydroxyapatite crystal. This would provide a mechanism of replication that is subject to natural selection. The possible role of a replicating system of this kind in the origins of life on the earth is discussed.Keywords
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