title: Intractable mixtures and the origin of life.
abstract: Attempts to model the spontaneous chemistry which presumably preceded the origin of life on Earth commonly result in the production of intractably complex mixtures of organic compounds. It is, therefore, difficult to understand how any kind of evolutionary process might have begun. A number of potential solutions to this well-known and frustrating problem have been offered in the literature over the years. The present contribution briefly reviews and evaluates some of the more promising possibilities.
authors: Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. alan@sci.ru.nl
authors: Alan W
authors: AW
authors: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D002621:Chemistry / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006856:Hydrogen Cyanide / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D000069497:Origin of Life; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids; D011743:Pyrimidines; D006856:Hydrogen Cyanide