scholarly journals The Role of Glycerol and Its Derivatives in the Biochemistry of Living Organisms, and Their Prebiotic Origin and Significance in the Evolution of Life

Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Maheen Gull ◽  
Matthew A. Pasek
Keyword(s):  
Prebiotic Synthesis ◽  
Early Earth ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Evolution Of Life ◽  
Prebiotic Molecules ◽  
Prebiotic Syntheses ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Glycerol Nucleic Acid ◽  
Synthesis Reactions

The emergence and evolution of prebiotic biomolecules on the early Earth remain a question that is considered crucial to understanding the chemistry of the origin of life. Amongst prebiotic molecules, glycerol is significant due to its ubiquity in biochemistry. In this review, we discuss the significance of glycerol and its various derivatives in biochemistry, their plausible roles in the origin and evolution of early cell membranes, and significance in the biochemistry of extremophiles, followed by their prebiotic origin on the early Earth and associated catalytic processes that led to the origin of these compounds. We also discuss various scenarios for the prebiotic syntheses of glycerol and its derivates and evaluate these to determine their relevance to early Earth biochemistry and geochemistry, and recapitulate the utilization of various minerals (including clays), condensation agents, and solvents that could have led to the successful prebiotic genesis of these biomolecules. Furthermore, important prebiotic events such as meteoritic delivery and prebiotic synthesis reactions under astrophysical conditions are also discussed. Finally, we have also highlighted some novel features of glycerol, including glycerol nucleic acid (GNA), in the origin and evolution of the life.

scholarly journals The Origin and Evolution of Language and the Propagation of Organization

1970 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert K. Logan
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
New Media ◽  
Evolution Of Language ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Origin Of Language ◽  
Engineering Problems ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
The Impact

In this presentation we will study propagating organization. We begin by examining the evolution and origin of language by briefly reviewing the impact of the phonetic alphabet (Logan 2004a), the evolution of notated language (Logan 2004b), the origin of language and culture (Logan 2006, 2007), the role of collaboration in knowledge management (Logan and Stokes 2004), the impact of “new media” (Logan in preparation). We will then connect this work to the propagating organization of all living organisms (Kauffman et al. in press) where we will show that information in biotic systems are the constraints that instruct living organisms how to operate. We will demonstrate that instructional or biotic information is quite different than the classical notion of information Shannon developed for addressing engineering problems in telecommunications. We also will show that biosemiosis is in some sense equivalent to propagating organization (Kauffman et al. in press). We then conclude our presentation with the speculation that there exist at least seven levels of biosemiosis.

scholarly journals Catalytic Prebiotic Formation of Glycerol Phosphate Esters and an Estimation of Their Steady State Abundance under Plausible Early Earth Conditions

Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1384
Author(s):  
Maheen Gull ◽  
Matthew A. Pasek
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Phosphate Esters ◽  
Early Earth ◽  
Steady State Concentration ◽  
Glycerol Phosphate ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Crucial Step ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Evolution Of Life ◽  
State Concentration

The emergence of biological phosphate esters of glycerol could have been a crucial step in the origin and evolution of life on the early Earth as glycerol phosphates today play a central role in biochemistry. We investigate here the formation of the glycerol phosphates by employing various rock samples, salts, and minerals as potential catalysts to aid the phosphorylation process. We report the synthesis of various phosphate esters of glycerol including glycerol-1-phosphate, glycerol-2-phosphate, cyclic glycerol-monophosphate as well as various diphosphate esters. Furthermore, the decomposition rates of glycerol phosphate under mild heating were also studied while keeping the pH constant. It was observed that glycerol phosphate starts decomposing quickly under mild heating conditions into inorganic orthophosphate and pyrophosphate, and a steady state concentration of ~0.5 M of glycerol phosphate may have been reasonable in ponds with abundant glycerol, phosphate, urea, and catalytic minerals.

Where is the nitrogen on Mars?

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocco L. Mancinelli ◽  
Amos Banin
Keyword(s):  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Crystal Lattices ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Thermal Escape ◽  
Martian Soil ◽  
Evolution Of Life ◽  
Life On Mars ◽  
Nitrogen Abundance ◽  
Living Organisms

Nitrogen is an essential element for life. Specifically, fixed nitrogen (i.e. NH3, NH4+, NOx or N that is chemically bound to either inorganic or organic molecules and can be released by hydrolysis to form NH3 or NH4+) is useful to living organisms. Nitrogen on present-day Mars has been analysed only in the atmosphere. The inventory is a small fraction of the amount of nitrogen presumed to have been received by the planet during its accretion. Where is the missing nitrogen? Answering this question is crucial for understanding the probability of the origin and evolution of life on Mars, and for its future astrobiological exploration. The two main processes that could have removed nitrogen from the atmosphere include: (1) non-thermal escape of N atoms to space and (2) burial within the regolith as nitrates and ammonium salts. Nitrate would probably be stable in the highly oxidized surface soil of Mars and could have served as an NO3− sink. Such accumulations are observed in certain desert environments on Earth. Some NH4+ nitrogen may also be fixed and stabilized in the soil by inclusion as a structural cation in the crystal lattices of certain phyllosilicates replacing K+. Analysis of the Martian soil for traces of NO3− and NH4+ during future missions will provide important information regarding the nitrogen abundance on Mars. We hypothesize that Mars soil, as typical of extremely dry desert soils on Earth, is likely to contain at least some of the missing nitrogen as nitrate salts and some fixed ammonium bound to aluminosilicate minerals.

scholarly journals The Origin and Evolution of Language and the Propagation of Organization

1970 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-81
Author(s):  
Robert K. Logan
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
New Media ◽  
Evolution Of Language ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Origin Of Language ◽  
Engineering Problems ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
The Impact

In this presentation we will study propagating organization. We begin by examining the evolution and origin of language by briefly reviewing the impact of the phonetic alphabet (Logan 2004a), the evolution of notated language (Logan 2004b), the origin of language and culture (Logan 2006, 2007), the role of collaboration in knowledge management (Logan and Stokes 2004), the impact of “new media” (Logan in preparation). We will then connect this work to the propagating organization of all living organisms (Kauffman et al. in press) where we will show that information in biotic systems are the constraints that instruct living organisms how to operate. We will demonstrate that instructional or biotic information is quite different than the classical notion of information Shannon developed for addressing engineering problems in telecommunications. We also will show that biosemiosis is in some sense equivalent to propagating organization (Kauffman et al. in press). We then conclude our presentation with the speculation that there exist at least seven levels of biosemiosis.

scholarly journals Comment on K. Michaelian and A. Simeonov (2015) “Fundamental molecules of life are pigments which arose and co-evolved as a response to the thermodynamic imperative of dissipating the prevailing solar spectrum”

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Olof Björn
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Entropy Production ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Dissipation Rate ◽  
Solar Spectrum ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Evolution Of Life

Abstract. This is a comment to: “Fundamental molecules of life are pigments which arose and co-evolved as a response to the thermodynamic imperative of dissipating the prevailing solar spectrum” by K. Michaelian and A. Simeonov, Biogeosciences, 12, 4913–4937, 2015. Michaelian and Simeonov formulate the leading thought in their article “The driving force behind the origin and evolution of life has been the thermodynamic imperative of increasing the entropy production of the biosphere through increasing the global solar photon dissipation rate”. I doubt that the reasoning that follows regarding the role of “pigments” (in which they include all substances able to absorb solar radiation) is correct.

Photo-induced protein oxidation: mechanisms, consequences and medical applications

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Fuentes-Lemus ◽  
Camilo López-Alarcón
Keyword(s):  
Protein Oxidation ◽  
Photochemical Reactions ◽  
Medical Applications ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Direct Irradiation ◽  
Excited Species ◽  
Evolution Of Life ◽  
Living Organisms

Abstract Irradiation from the sun has played a crucial role in the origin and evolution of life on the earth. Due to the presence of ozone in the stratosphere most of the hazardous irradiation is absorbed, nonetheless UVB, UVA, and visible light reach the earth’s surface. The high abundance of proteins in most living organisms, and the presence of chromophores in the side chains of certain amino acids, explain why these macromolecules are principal targets when biological systems are illuminated. Light absorption triggers the formation of excited species that can initiate photo-modification of proteins. The major pathways involve modifications derived from direct irradiation and photo-sensitized reactions. In this review we explored the basic concepts behind these photochemical pathways, with special emphasis on the photosensitized mechanisms (type 1 and type 2) leading to protein oxidation, and how this affects protein structure and functions. Finally, a description of the photochemical reactions involved in some human diseases, and medical applications of protein oxidation are presented.

Electromagnetic Fields in Biosphere: Benefit and Hazard

2018 ◽  
pp. 63-73
Author(s):  
M. Markov ◽  
M. Markov
Keyword(s):  
Electromagnetic Fields ◽  
Mobile Communications ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
The North ◽  
Children Health ◽  
Evolution Of Life ◽  
Life On Earth

This paper is written in order to summarizes the role of electromagnetic fields in the origin and evolution of life on Earth, as well as hazard and benefit from electromagnetic fields. It is an attempt to show that today the mankind and the entire biosphere are subjected to a global experiment conducted without protocol, monitoring and even knowing the parameters of the applied electromagnetic fields. At the same time, electromagnetic fields used in magnetotherapy has been proven to be beneficial in treatment of various health problems. Magnetotherapy is non-invasive, safe, and easily applied methods to directly treat the site of injury, the source of pain, and inflammation. The development of advanced communication technologies year after year increases the hazard for the biosphere and mankind. The paper discuses the contradiction between scientists and technological engineers in the line thermal or nonthermal are effects of electromagnetic fields. The specific problems with children health are analyzed. It focused on the facts that at the end of the second decade of this century more aggressive mobile communications, such as 4G and especially 5G are being introduced in the North America and Europe without any attempt to evaluate the hazard for civilization.

scholarly journals Potential Role of Trace Elements (Al, Cu, Zn, and Se) in Multiple Sclerosis Physiopathology

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 163-177
Author(s):  
Mohammad Sadegh Hesamian ◽  
Nahid Eskandari
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
T Cells ◽  
Trace Elements ◽  
Plasma Cells ◽  
Peripheral Tolerance ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Tolerance Breakdown ◽  
Peripheral Immune Cells

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system. The cause of MS is not known completely, and pathology is specified by involved demyelinated areas in the white and gray matter of the brain and spinal cord. Inflammation and peripheral tolerance breakdown due to Treg cell defects and/or effector cell resistance are present at all stages of the disease. Several invading peripheral immune cells are included in the process of the disease such as macrophages, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, B cells, and plasma cells. Trace elements are known as elements found in soil, plants, and living organisms in small quantities. Some of them (e.g., Al, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Se) are essential for the body’s functions like catalysts in enzyme systems, energy metabolism, etc. Al toxicity and Cu, Zn, and Se toxicity and deficiency can affect the immune system and following neuron inflammation and degeneration. These processes may result in MS pathology. Of course, factors such as lifestyle, environment, and industrialization can affect levels of trace elements in the human body.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document