Mineral biogenesis

Four billion years ago, the Earth s thin crust consisted of geochemicals (i.e., compounds containing the elements Si, O, Al, Fe, Mg, Ca, K and Na, as well as traces of other elements). Thus, some biogenesis researchers believed that the first replicating material consisted of geochemical material rather than substances containing carbon and other bioelements. Clay minerals in particular were included in experimental and theoretical studies. The most important are kaolinite and montmorillonite the latter was, and still is, used in many experiments carried out to simulate prebiotic reactions. 

Cairns-Smith, as the leading proponent of the mineral theory, has also shown interest in both the hydrothermal biogenesis theory (Cairns-Smith, 1992) and the iron-sulphur hypothesis proposed by G. Wachtershauser (see Sect. 7.3). 

An information science research group devised a new model which could explain information storage in the prebiotic phase of the biogenesis process. They assume that layered double hydroxide (LDH) minerals acted as proto-RNA molecules on the young Earth about 4 billion years ago. This hypothesis relates to Cairns-Smith s genetic takeover thesis, which thus again became the subject of discussion. 

Holm and Andersson have provided an up-to-date survey of simulation experiments on the synthesis under hydrothermal conditions of molecules important for biogenesis (Holm and Andersson, 2005). It is clear that several research groups have been able to show in the meantime, using simulation experiments, that the conditions present at deep sea vents appear suitable for the synthesis of very different groups of substances. However, it remains unclear how these compounds could have been stabilized and protected against rapid decomposition. At present, metal ions (as complexing agents) and mineral surfaces are the subject of discussion and experiment. 

The first indication of a possible connection between geological processes occurring at the boundaries between tectonic plates of the mid-oceanic ridges and the biogenesis problem was provided by J. B. Corliss (1981). He considered the hydrothermal conditions to be ideal reactors for abiotic synthesis these ideal conditions were the water temperature gradients, the pH, and the concentrations of solutes in the hot springs. The presence of certain minerals which could act as catalysts, such as montmorillonite, clay minerals, iron oxide, sulphides etc., was also very important. The initial model presented for the hydrothermal synthesis of biomolecules (Corliss, 1981) was modified, particularly by Russell (1989) and Wachtershauser (see Sect. 7.3). 

Kramarenko, L.E., 1962. Bacterial biogenesis in underground waters of some mineral fields and their geological importance. Mikrobiologiya, 31 694—701. 

Thouverey C, MaUnowska A, Balcerzak M et al (2011) Proteomic characterization of biogenesis and functions of matrix vesicles released from mineralizing human osteoblast-like cells. J Proteomics 74 1123-1134... 

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