The Natural Selection of ‘Fitness Chemistry’ in Darwin’s Warm Little Pond

by Open Science Repository Chemistry
(2017)

Abstract

The concept of ‘Natural Selection of ‘Fitness Chemistry’ in Darwin’s Warm Little Pond’ offers a perspective on the chemistry that underpins the origins of life.

The term ‘Fitness Chemistry’ is proposed to describe the types of chemistry that have initiated and become integrated with the functions of living organisms.

Fitness chemistry is described in terms of the physical and chemical properties of molecules that relate to their role in biological systems.

The origin of life on earth presents a conundrum that may never be truly resolved because the events occurred ~2-4 billion years ago, with no fossil records for support, except for the fact that fit chemicals still exist today in living organisms and must have originated somewhere.

In this article, ‘fitness chemistry’ is described using the examples of ribose, de-oxyribose, amino acids, proteins and porphyrins, interwoven with the supporting physical processes such as autocatalysis, chemical cycles and chirality.

Keywords: fitness chemistry, ribose, de-oxyribose, porphryins, autocatalysis, chemosynthesis.

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The Natural Selection of ‘Fitness Chemistry’ in Darwin’s Warm Little Pond