Prokaryotes chemotypes 269

The Evolution of Protoaerobic and Aerobic Prokaryote Chemotypes (Three to Two Billion Years Ago)... 

Redox Potential Range of Activity of Some Prokaryote Chemotypes... 

The above description provides a possible starting background for the description of the beginning of cellular chemotypes, prokaryotes, but even this is less complicated than the only cells for which we have evidence since they have at least two additional groups of more sophisticated chemicals - coenzymes (see Tables 5.3 and 5.4) and certain metal cofactors, which we presume were additions to the most primitive cells. After we have described them, we shall return to the problem of cellular (cytoplasmic) organisation. Note that coenzyme novelty is not in basic pathways but in control of rates and in energy management. 

From this account of prokaryotes it must be clear that the switches from anaerobic to protoaerobic and then to aerobic chemotypes amongst prokaryotes was not a gain in intrinsic cellular efficiency in the processes of fast reproduction and survival... 

If cells of eukaryotes are much slower to reproduce and adapt, why did they evolve at all and so successfully Why did they continue to evolve yet their predecessor prokaryotes also evolved (as aerobes) and both they and early and late eukaryotes are also extant in considerable numbers today Clearly a large number of types of organisms, chemotypes, co-exist. Why We shall provide answers to these questions in terms of the different efficiencies of different chemotypes within the ecosystem, including mutual chemical dependences. 

Finally, note that eukaryote chemotypes have as a general feature the increase inside the cell vesicles of elements, here calcium, previously confined to the outside of prokaryotes, but these increases are different in different vesicles and organelles and in different organisms separating cells into different chemotypes. This is also seen in their minerals. There is as yet far too little quantitative analysis of calcium or indeed of elements generally to allow us to build a full picture of chemotypes together with genotypes (see Table 8.22). 

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