Scientific Notes on the Cosmic Epic Part 19: Life and Organic Compounds — Why Does Reaction Uniformity Break Down?
📚 Related Work: "Epic of Life" Main Story👇
🌐 Chapter 3: Senses, Sections 1 & 2
🌐 Chapter 3: Senses, Sections 3 & 4(Released May 13th)
Subject of this article
In the early Earth environment, relatively simple products are stably generated through the repetition of inorganic reactions.
However, from a certain stage, the diversity of products increases rapidly, and the progression path of the reaction no longer settles into a single one.
In this article, we will organize the chemical factors that cause this change.
Characteristics of reactions in the early environment
In environments such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents,
・CO₂
・H₂
・H₂S
and other small molecules are supplied, and
・on the surface of metal catalysts such as Fe and Ni
the reaction proceeds.
Typical reactions include:
・CO₂ + H₂ → HCOOH (formic acid)
・CO₂ → CO → CH₄ (methane)
and so on.
These reactions, when temperature, pressure, and catalyst conditions are stable, result in:
👉 The same reaction being repeated
As a result,
👉 The types of products are limited
Changes due to the introduction of organic compounds
When simple products accumulate, they react with each other, and more complex organic compounds are generated.
What is important here is the bonding property of carbon.
Carbon:
・forms four covalent bonds
・takes on chain, branched, and cyclic structures
・forms single, double, and triple bonds
Because of this,
👉 Multiple structures can be generated from the same raw material
Branching of reaction pathways
When organic compounds are present, the reaction does not follow a single path.
The factors for this are as follows:
・Existence of structural isomers
・Diversification of reaction intermediates
・Minute differences in catalyst surfaces
・Local differences in temperature and concentration
As a result,
👉 Multiple reaction pathways proceed in parallel even under the same conditions
Diversification of molecules
At this stage,
👉 Different organic molecules are generated simultaneously
However,
・Many molecules are unstable
・They are decomposed by reactions
・They are not maintained for long periods
Therefore,
👉 Diversity exists, but stability is low
Influence of organic molecules on reactions
As organic compounds accumulate further, some begin to have an active influence on reactions.
Specific examples:
・Short-chain peptides
→ Act as weak catalysts
・RNA molecules
→ Participate in reactions due to specific structures
・Lipid molecules
→ Cause localization and concentration of molecules
As a result,
👉 Biases occur in reaction rates and progression pathways
Formation of reaction bias
When molecules that influence reactions are present,
・Specific pathways become easier to follow
・Specific structures become more likely to remain
This bias is not fixed in a single instance, but
👉 It is reinforced by being repeated in the same environment
Summary
Initial stage:
👉 Same conditions → Same products
After the introduction of organic compounds:
👉 Same conditions → Multiple products
Furthermore:
👉 Some molecules influence reactions
👉 Biases occur in reactions
In one line
👉
With the introduction of organic compounds, reaction pathways branch, and because some molecules influence the reactions, biases arise in the products.
📓 Scientific Notes on the Cosmic Epic👇
🌐 Part 1: Did Anything Exist Before the Big Bang?
🌐 Part 2: How Did the Universe Begin? — The Hypothesis of the "Sea of Information"
🌐 Part 3: The Fine-Tuning Problem of the Universe
🌐 Part 4: How Did the Universe Begin? — The Big Bang
🌐 Part 5: What Happened Immediately After the Birth of the Universe? — Inflation
🌐 Part 6: Does the Universe Really Have a Beginning?
🌐 Part 7: Is the Universe Really Expanding?
🌐 Part 8: What Is the Hubble Tension?
🌐 Part 9: Is the Age of the Universe Really 13.8 Billion Years?
🌐 Part 10: What Is the Cosmic Microwave Background?
🌐 Part 11: The Cosmic Horizon and the Edge of the Universe
🌐 Part 12: Large-Scale Structure — The Framework of the Universe
🌐 Part 13: First Stars — The First Light
🌐 Part 14: The Birth of First Stars — Simultaneity and Non-chaining
🌐 Part 15: Nucleosynthesis Inside Stars — Nuclear Fusion and the Birth of Matter
🌐 Part 16: The Universe and Consciousness — Where Does Self-Awareness Come From?
🌐 Part 17: How Do Rocky Planets with Liquid Water Form?
🌐 Part 18: The Site of Life's Origin — Where Could the First Reactions Be Sustained?
🌐 Part 19: Life and Organic Compounds — Why Does Reaction Uniformity Break Down?(This work)
🌐 Part 20: The Establishment of Memory — Why Do Molecules Remain and Repeat?(Published May 16)
🌐 Part 21: Protocell-like States — Where Did Life Become "One"?(Published May 20)
🌐 Part 22: Lipid Membranes — Why Is an "Inside" Born?(Published May 22)
🌐 Part 23: Response to the Outside World and the Establishment of Senses — Why Is "Feeling" Born?(Published May 24)
📚 Click here for the main story of "Epic of Life" (Blog)👇
🌐 Chapter 1: Birth of the Vessel, Sections 1 & 2
🌐 Chapter 1: Birth of the Vessel, Sections 3 & 4
🌐 Chapter 2: Boundaries, Sections 1 & 2
🌐 Chapter 2: Boundaries, Sections 3 & 4
🌐 Chapter 3: Senses, Sections 1 & 2
🌐 Chapter 3: Senses, Sections 3 & 4(Releasing May 13)
🌐 Chapter 4: Memory, Sections 1 & 2(Releasing May 15)
🌐 Chapter 4: Memory, Sections 3 & 4(Releasing May 17)
🌐 Chapter 5: Persistence, Sections 1 & 2(Releasing May 19)
🌐 Chapter 5: Persistence, Sections 3 & 4(Releasing May 21)
🌐 Chapter 6: Living Things, Sections 1 & 2(Releasing May 23)
🌐 Chapter 6: Living Things, Sections 3 & 4(Releasing May 25)
📓 "Epic of Life" Creative Notes👇
🌐 "Epic of Life" Creative Notes
🌐 "Chapter 1: Birth of the Vessel, Sections 1 & 2" Creative Notes
🌐 "Chapter 1: Birth of the Vessel, Sections 3 & 4" Creative Notes
🌐 "Chapter 2: Boundaries, Sections 1 & 2" Creative Notes
🌐 "Chapter 2: Boundaries, Sections 3 & 4" Creative Notes
🌐 "Chapter 3: Senses, Sections 1 & 2" Creative Notes
🌐 "Chapter 3: Senses, Sections 3 & 4" Creative Notes(Releasing May 13)
🌐 "Chapter 4: Memory, Sections 1 & 2" Creative Notes(Releasing May 15)
🌐 "Chapter 4: Memory, Sections 3 & 4" Creative Notes(Releasing May 17)
🌐 "Chapter 5: Persistence, Sections 1 & 2" Creative Notes(Releasing May 19)
🌐 "Chapter 5: Persistence, Sections 3 & 4" Creative Notes(Releasing May 21)
🌐 "Chapter 6: Living Things, Sections 1 & 2" Creative Notes(Releasing May 23)
🌐 "Chapter 6: Living Things, Sections 3 & 4" Creative Notes(Releasing May 25)
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