1932

Abstract

Recent synthetic approaches to understanding the origin of life have yielded insights into plausible pathways for the emergence of the first cells. Here we review current experiments with implications for the origin of life, emphasizing the ability of unexpected physical processes to facilitate the self-assembly and self-replication of the first biological systems. These laboratory efforts have uncovered novel physical mechanisms for the emergence of homochirality; the concentration and purification of prebiotic building blocks; and the ability of the first cells to assemble, grow, divide, and acquire greater complexity. In the absence of evolved biochemical capabilities, such physical processes likely played an essential role in early biology.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.biophys.050708.133753
2010-06-09
2024-03-29
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.biophys.050708.133753
Loading
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.biophys.050708.133753
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Review Article
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error