Origins of Life in a Drying Puddle (VIDEO)
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Anyone who's ever noticed a water puddle drying in the sun has seen an environment that may have driven the type of chemical reactions that scientists believe were critical to the formation of life on the early Earth. Research reported July 15 in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition demonstrates that important molecules of contemporary life, known as polypeptides, can be formed simply by mixing amino and hydroxy acids -- which are believed to have existed together on the early Earth -- then subjecting them to cycles of wet and dry conditions.
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Credit: Georgia Tech
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