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Do you believe in the Primordial Soup theory?
Results so far:
| Yes | 49% | 325 votes | Total: 657 votes | |
| No | 51% | 332 votes |
Yes
by Matthew Zimmer
Created on: March 28, 2009
The Primordial soup theory explains that within a "soup" of chemicals present in the early life of the earth, organic matter came into formation, leading eventually to the creation of life. Explaining the source of life on this planet may never be possible, but theorising it certainly is, and this is one of many theories present in modern thinking; other possibilities include the arrival of life on earth from space in a meteorite, the creation of life from alien species with technologies far superior to any the human race has ever encountered, and of course, the theory that life was created by a divine creator, namely God. I will be focusing on the Primordial soup theory independent of the other theories.
For the theory to be valid, three hypotheses must be fulfilled: 1. Inorganic chemicals like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and cyanide were readily available in the oceans of the early world.
2. These substances reacted to form organic molecules such as amino acids and nucleic acids.
3. These organic molecules went on to form organisms
All three of these hypotheses must be valid in order for the Primordial soup theory to be possible.
The first hypothesis, though it may be valid, cannot be validated; knowledge of the chemicals present in the oceans of the world one billion years ago can not be established through experiments in the lab, and although analysis of geological strata can offer some clues into the earth's past chemical composition, its exact nature can only be speculated. This means that the first hypothesis can never be proved or disproved thoroughly without offering room for argument.
The second hypothesis is valid. Scientific experiments in lab environments have produced organic molecules from inorgainc ones, and so the first two hypotheses are completely plausible.
The main source of argument is the third hypothesis; organisms have never been formed from simple organic molecules in a lab environment. Many people who discredit the Primordial soup theory claim that this proves the formation of organisms from organic molecules is impossible, as humans are unable to make the change come about. However, there is one thing that cannot be replicated in a lab that was present in abundance in the early life of the earth: time. Four and a half billion years worth of time. Plenty of time for the formation of organic molecules from inorganic ones, and possibly enough time even for organisms to arise from these. Chemical reactions can certainly be made faster in labs through the application of greater pressures, temperatures and the presence of catalysts, but such conditions are certainly harmful to organic chemicals.
The third hypothesis is not an impossibility just because it can't be replicated in a lab. Like the first hypothesis, it can neither be proved or disproved. Neither can any of the other theories; the existence of God has been argued through man's existence, and aliens creating life on earth is a possibility that certainly can never be proved in a lab.
The theory that organisms evolve directly from organic chemicals does not need to be believed either in order for the Primordial soup theory to be valid; it is possible for there to be a link between the two. For example, viruses, though not organisms, are made of organic matter. It isn't difficult to imagine complex organic molecules forming structures like viruses that eventually become organisms through further chemical reactions.
To this writer, the Primordial soup theory seems far more plausible than any other theory that is being offered. It is a chemical reaction that takes a long time to take place, but that is able to take place independent of a creator, being explainable through natural events. This does not remove the possibility of a creator being present; God or aliens could well be responsible for the introduction of such chemicals or for the energy required to start such a reaction (which could naturally be explained by lightning, geothermal vents or any other source of natural energy).
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No
by Karen Crumley
Created on: April 15, 2009 Last Updated: April 18, 2009
The Primordial Soup theory has been around for at least five decades. Oparin believed that the conditions and chemical make-up of the Earth's oceans were optimal for the development of life on Earth. Scientists all over the world have been attempting to confirm this theory ever since.
Elaborate experiments have been performed using understood information about the nature of the Primordial seas. Experimental oceans were set up with the exact chemical formulations reported to have been present at the time life was perceived to have begun. The scientists also simulated the atmospheric conditions believed to have been present at the time. The atmospheric gaseous make-up was very different at that time and it was extremely energetic, producing abundant lightening.
With the simulated lightening striking the simulated Primordial seas repeatedly, the scientists were able to form some organic materials in the waters. They even saw formation of what they called a primitive cell membrane. This consisted of a simple film of organic material that simply did not mix with the hydrophilic materials of the sea water. They were very proud of this accomplishment... until microscopes were built that exposed the very complex nature of the real cell membranes.
It turns out that life is much more complex than they ever expected at the time they proposed the Primordial Soup Theory. Each new technology that allows us to glimpse into the intricate workings of living cells merely confirms its complexities. The cell membrane is intensely specific in its form and chemistry. The millions of chemical reactions occurring in the cell membrane alone are so complex that scientists are nowhere near completely understanding them. There will be jobs for scientists in this field for a very long time.
Embedded in the cell membranes are proteins integral to the function of the membranes. Without these proteins, the membrane would not function and the cell would die. The scientists were hoping that these proteins would form spontaneously in the Primordial Sea mixture with the lightening. What we know now is that it is impossible for that to happen.
Each protein is made up of thousands of amino acids. These amino acids are linked together in the order dictated by RNA strands. The RNA strands are made off of the templates of DNA. After the amino acids are linked together in the specified order, the chain folds up on itself in a very specific order based on opposite charges being attracted to each other. Proteins, then, have very specific shapes uniquely designed for their purpose. If even one amino acid is missing or in the wrong order, the shape of the new protein will be wrong and it will fail to function. Many diseases are the result of just one protein failing to function. Cells must have the proper proteins with the proper amino acid sequences to live. What this means is that cells must have DNA to live.
The problem is that DNA does not just spontaneously form. This is why proteins do not spontaneously form in the Primordial Soup. DNA is required for life to occur. No matter how long they ran the experiment, DNA refused to spontaneously form.
So, how did DNA form? That is a very good question. It obviously has to have the perfect order for millions of different proteins. It is a question that scientists are still mulling. Some scientists have gone so far as to speculate that DNA came to Earth riding on meteorites and fell into the Primordial Seas. In fact, that is one of the latest explanations of how life formed on Earth.
There is only one question.... If DNA came from another planet, how was it formed there? The instructions for life, which had to be perfect to cause life as we know it, had to be formed somehow. Only one thing is sure. DNA, protein and life did NOT spontaneously form in the Primordial Seas as the Primordial Soup theory expounds.
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