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| Titel |
Thermodynamic dissipation theory for the origin of life |
| VerfasserIn |
K. Michaelian |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
2190-4979
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Earth System Dynamics ; 2, no. 1 ; Nr. 2, no. 1 (2011-03-11), S.37-51 |
| Datensatznummer |
250000459
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/esd-2-37-2011.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Understanding the thermodynamic function of life may shed light on its
origin. Life, as are all irreversible processes, is contingent on entropy
production. Entropy production is a measure of the rate of the tendency of
Nature to explore available microstates. The most important irreversible
process generating entropy in the biosphere and, thus, facilitating this
exploration, is the absorption and transformation of sunlight into heat.
Here we hypothesize that life began, and persists today, as a catalyst for
the absorption and dissipation of sunlight on the surface of Archean seas.
The resulting heat could then be efficiently harvested by other irreversible
processes such as the water cycle, hurricanes, and ocean and wind currents.
RNA and DNA are the most efficient of all known molecules for absorbing the
intense ultraviolet light that penetrated the dense early atmosphere and are
remarkably rapid in transforming this light into heat in the presence of
liquid water. From this perspective, the origin and evolution of life,
inseparable from water and the water cycle, can be understood as resulting
from the natural thermodynamic imperative of increasing the entropy
production of the Earth in its interaction with its solar environment. A
mechanism is proposed for the reproduction of RNA and DNA without the need
for enzymes, promoted instead through UV light dissipation and diurnal temperature
cycling of the Archean sea-surface. |
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