Japanese scientists found a new place of origin of life on Earth: it was gels.

According to ТСН: Scientists from the University of Hiroshima in Japan presented a new theory that life on Earth may have originated in sticky gels that formed on the surfaces of minerals, stones, or soil. The results of the study were published in the journal ChemSystemsChem (CSC).

Features of the new theory

Unlike traditional theories that focus on individual molecules or short chains of nucleic acids, the authors of the new theory propose gels as active environments capable of organizing molecules and facilitating chemical reactions. The scientists believe that layers of sticky gel could have retained substances and stabilized the environment, creating conditions for protometabolic processes before the emergence of the first cells.

These environments performed several functions: they accumulated molecules, selectively retained compounds, and buffered fluctuations in temperature, humidity, and the chemical composition of water. The high concentration of reagents contributed to the formation of long chains of RNA and proteins, while the gel surface served as a framework for precise molecular interactions.

“These 'mini-laboratories' could have become the foundation for the first self-replicating systems and elementary inheritance, laying the groundwork for biological evolution.”

The authors also noted that similar gel-like structures could exist on other planets. In future experiments, the scientists plan to recreate conditions of the early Earth to test how simple chemical substances form gels in nature and how their structure affects the kinetics of reactions. This will allow for a deeper understanding of the evolution of simple chemical systems into the first forms of life.

Thus, this theory could make a significant contribution to our understanding of the origin of life, opening new perspectives for science. The research of the scientists from the University of Hiroshima calls into question traditional notions and encourages further experiments that could shed light on mysteries that remain unsolved.