title: The RNA World and its origins.
abstract: The theory of the "RNA World" states that the first molecular systems to display the properties of self-replication and evolution were RNA molecules.  The origin of life not only depended crucially upon this event, but RNA molecules can even be viewed as the first "living" things.  In recent years this theory has gained ascendancy over competing ideas and is now largely accepted by biologists as the most satisfactory explanation for the origin of life.  The reasons for this development will be reviewed and the problem of the origin of the first RNA molecules will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Biology Research Group, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018559:Exobiology; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D000069497:Origin of Life; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D012266:Ribose / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013698:Templates, Genetic
chemical_list: D009711:Nucleotides; D011108:Polymers; D005557:Formaldehyde; D012313:RNA; D012266:Ribose