Struvite and prebiotic phosphorylation.
Struvite, MgNH(4)PO(4).6H(2)O, rather than apatite or amorphous calcium phosphate is precipitated when phosphate is added to seawater containing more than 0.01M NH(4)(+) ions. Struvite may have precipitated from evaporating seawater on the primitive earth, and may have been important for prebiotic phosphorylation.
Handschuh
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Orgel
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