title: How did 'biopolymers' evolve before life began?
abstract: The very reactive products of ionizing radiations acting on water (e(aq)(-), OH·, H·, etc.) probably had a very potent effect in selecting prebiopolymers from the polymers of the primordial soup. e(aq)(-), in particular, has properties that give considerable insight into the survival of nucleic acids, secondary structures in DNA and polypeptides, lipid membranes and electron transport systems. OH· could have played an important part in selecting specific binding sites ('specifity selection'). Experimental evidence is available for these proposals.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Morphology Dept, Cell and Structural Biology Dept, Chemistry Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Scott