Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)
Awards/Availabilty
Open Access Presidential Scholars Thesis
Keywords
Life--Origin;
Abstract
The origin of life has long been a mystery to scientists due to the absence of preservation of molecular structure from millions of years ago. Many hypotheses have been constructed on this topic. This paper contrasts the hypotheses of Dr. Christian De Duve, known best for his Nobel Prize winning work on the cell and the discovery of lysosomes, and Dr. Ronald Fox, a physics professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. De Duve believes that thioesters were precursors to pyrophosphate, which in turn produced adenosine-5'-triphosphate, or ATP, a molecule that is used to supply energy for many of life's processes today. Fox, on the other hand, believes that sulfur proteinoids provided the connecting point between prebiotic molecules and evolutionary energy.
Date of Award
1994
Department
Department of Biology
Presidential Scholar Designation
A paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the designation Presidential Scholar
Date Original
1994
Object Description
1 PDF file (39 pages)
Date Digital
3-29-2018
Copyright
©1994 - Kimberly Ann Mescall
Type
document
Language
EN
File Format
application_pdf
Recommended Citation
Mescall, Kimberly Ann, "The chemical origin of life: an exploration of thioesters as energy in the prebiotic world" (1994). Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006). 113.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pst/113
Comments
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