Geochemical Origins of Life

Hazen, Robert M.

doi:10.1002/9781118280874.ch17

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 148 publications

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“…What follows is a necessarily brief overview of each of these prerequisites and how they might have been provided on the Hadean Earth. For more exhaustive discussions of these topics, see De Duve (), Lahav (), Morowitz (), Hazen (), Deamer (), and Hazen ().…”

Section: Prerequisites For the Origin Of Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

Did life originate from a global chemical reactor?

et al. 2013

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Many decades of experimental and theoretical research on the origin of life have yielded important discoveries regarding the chemical and physical conditions under which organic compounds can be synthesized and polymerized. However, such conditions often seem mutually exclusive, because they are rarely encountered in a single environmental setting. As such, no convincing models explain how living cells formed from abiotic constituents. Here, we propose a new approach that considers the origin of life within the global context of the Hadean Earth. We review previous ideas and synthesize them in four central hypotheses: (i) Multiple microenvironments contributed to the building blocks of life, and these niches were not necessarily inhabitable by the first organisms; (ii) Mineral catalysts were the backbone of prebiotic reaction networks that led to modern metabolism; (iii) Multiple local and global transport processes were essential for linking reactions occurring in separate locations; (iv) Global diversity and local selection of reactants and products provided mechanisms for the generation of most of the diverse building blocks necessary for life. We conclude that no single environmental setting can offer enough chemical and physical diversity for life to originate. Instead, any plausible model for the origin of life must acknowledge the geological complexity and diversity of the Hadean Earth. Future research may therefore benefit from identifying further linkages between organic precursors, minerals, and fluids in various environmental contexts.

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Section: Prerequisites For the Origin Of Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

Did life originate from a global chemical reactor?

et al. 2013

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“…前生命化学过程演化到早期生命是在何种环境下进行的, 这是生命起源研究的热点. 目前的假说包括可能发生在海底热液口附近 [45] 、海洋表面 [46] 、潮汐池 [47] 、陆地热泉 [48] 、矿物-水-大气界面 [49] 、火山含水…”

Section: 的湖泊或海洋unclassified

Overview and perspectives of Astrobiology

Lin¹,

Li²,

Wang³

et al. 2019

Chin. Sci. Bull.

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“…Theories about the transition of prebiotic chemistry to biology include environments such as deep sea vents ( e.g., Baross and Hoffman, 1985 ; Shock, 1992 ; Visscher 1993 ; Wächtershäuser, 2006 ; Martin et al, 2008 ; Sleep, 2010 ; Nisbet and Fowler, 2013 ; Dodd et al, 2017 ) on an ocean planet with a few landmasses only ( e.g., Cavosie et al, 2007 ; Ushikubo et al, 2008 ; Burnham and Berry, 2017 ); the surface of the sea ( e.g., Michaelian, 2011 ); tidal pools ( e.g., Lasaga et al, 1971 ; Lahav et al, 1978 ); hydrothermal systems and hot springs ( e.g., Shock 1993 ; Djokic et al, 2017 ); mineral-water-air interphases ( e.g., Hazen, 2012 ; Yang et al, 2013 ); and volcanic aquifers ( e.g., Washington, 2000 ). Plate tectonics is viewed as essential to a terrestrial “habitability trinity” defined by the coexistence of ocean, landmass, and atmosphere ( e.g., Bercovici and Ricard, 2014 ; Dohm and Maruyama, 2015 ; Azuma et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Environments For An Origin Of Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

The Coevolution of Life and Environment on Mars: An Ecosystem Perspective on the Robotic Exploration of Biosignatures

Cabrol

2018

Astrobiology

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Earth's biological and environmental evolution are intertwined and inseparable. This coevolution has become a fundamental concept in astrobiology and is key to the search for life beyond our planet. In the case of Mars, whether a coevolution took place is unknown, but analyzing the factors at play shows the uniqueness of each planetary experiment regardless of similarities. Early Earth and early Mars shared traits. However, biological processes on Mars, if any, would have had to proceed within the distinctive context of an irreversible atmospheric collapse, greater climate variability, and specific planetary characteristics. In that, Mars is an important test bed for comparing the effects of a unique set of spatiotemporal changes on an Earth-like, yet different, planet. Many questions remain unanswered about Mars' early environment. Nevertheless, existing data sets provide a foundation for an intellectual framework where notional coevolution models can be explored. In this framework, the focus is shifted from planetary-scale habitability to the prospect of habitats, microbial ecotones, pathways to biological dispersal, biomass repositories, and their meaning for exploration. Critically, as we search for biosignatures, this focus demonstrates the importance of starting to think of early Mars as a biosphere and vigorously integrating an ecosystem approach to landing site selection and exploration. Key Words: Astrobiology—Biosignatures—Coevolution of Earth and life—Mars. Astrobiology 18, 1–27.

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Geochemical Origins of Life

Cited by 8 publications

References 148 publications

Did life originate from a global chemical reactor?

Did life originate from a global chemical reactor?

Overview and perspectives of Astrobiology

The Coevolution of Life and Environment on Mars: An Ecosystem Perspective on the Robotic Exploration of Biosignatures

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