Possible origin of a membrane in the subsurface of the Earth.
A location for the origin of life on Earth could have been an oil/water interface in the warm, subsurface environment of the Earth. The physico-chemical conditions of the subsurface would include elevated, but eventually cooling temperatures, anaerobic conditions, and protection from intense surface radiation. This type of subsurface oil/water environment may have been ideal for the assembly of the first simple membrane(s), where no enzyme catalysis was needed. Once a stable, simple, continuous closed membrane was formed, one central component of the first cell(s) would have been present; a semi-permeable open system that allowed the passage of both matter and energy in and out of the cell. Such an open system could also acquire novel functions, whereas a closed system would be unable to evolve.
Trevors
J T
JT
Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Room 3220 Bovey Building, ON, Guelph, Canada N1G 2W1. jtrevors@uoguelph.ca
D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D055593:Geological Phenomena; D005844:Geology; D000069497:Origin of Life; D011387:Prokaryotic Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D022161:Transport Vesicles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology