But how did all of this begin? In the origins of life, long before cells and proteins and DNA, could a similar sort of evolution have taken place on a simpler scale? Scientists in the 1960s, including Salk Fellow Leslie Orgel, proposed that life began with the "RNA World," a hypothetical era in which small, stringy RNA molecules ruled the early Earth and established the dynamics of Darwinian evolution.
New research at the Salk Institute now provides fresh insights on the origins of life, presenting compelling evidence supporting the RNA World hypothesis. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), unveils an RNA enzyme that can make accurate copies of other functional RNA strands, while also allowing new variants of the molecule to emerge over time. These remarkable capabilities suggest the earliest forms of evolution may have occurred on a molecular scale in RNA.
Denne historien er fra March-April 2024-utgaven av Scientific India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March-April 2024-utgaven av Scientific India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
An insight into Chandipura virus in India
Recently lot of news regarding disease due to Chandipura virus has emerged in various newspapers/magazines. After reading the reports published it seems that thing is still brewing in the natures nest and it could affect mankind.
Why elephants never forget?
An elephant has a very large brain for its size and the 'temporal lobe' region responsible for memory is more developed with a greater number of folds - this results in powerful abilities to 'download' important survival data such as where to find food and water, and who is friend or foe.
Use of Algae for Wastewater Treatment Containing Heavy Metals
Wastewater treatment is a critical environmental issue particularly when it comes to the removal of heavy metals.
Nano priming Seeds: A Small Innovation Sparkling Big Advances in Germination
Nanopriming is an emerging agricultural technique where the seeds are treated with nanoparticles to improve their germination, growth, and overall performance.
Nobel Laureates in Physics 2024: Revolutionizing AlThe Physics Foundations Behind Machine Learning
This year's two Nobel Laureates in Physics have used tools from physics to develop methods that are the foundation of today's powerful machine learning.
Revolutionizing Biology: The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Celebrates Breakthroughs in Protein Design and Structure Prediction
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 is about proteins, life's ingenious chemical tools.
New findings on animal viruses with potential to infect humans
Scientists investigating animal viruses with potential to infect humans have identified a critical protein that could enable spillover of a family of organisms called arteriviruses.
Father-Daughter Team Decodes Mars' Alien Signal
There is no definitive answer to whether aliens exist, but there is a lot of work being done to find out:
Krishi Vigyan Kendras: Working for Farmer's Welfare
Krishi Vigyan Kendras (Farm Science Centres) are the District level institution serving as an agriculture knowledge resource & capacity development centre which plays indispensable role in front line extension regarding agriculture system in scientific way.
Sixth generation Computer: The future computing technology
We are in a transition towards a digital world, where everything will be dealt with in digital format.