Practice question · Select all that apply
Which observations support the idea that RNA preceded DNA and protein?
Hints
- Three are genuine relics or demonstrations; one reverses a chemical fact.
- DNA is the more stable of the two, which is why it took over storage.
Show the answer
- B. Ribozymes catalyse real chemical reactions
- C. Several central cofactors contain nucleotide components
- D. The catalytic core of the ribosome is made of RNA
Why
The RNA ribosome core, nucleotide-containing cofactors and working ribozymes all look like relics of an earlier RNA-based world. DNA is more stable than RNA, not less, that stability is exactly why it inherited the storage role.
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More questions on The Origin of Life and the RNA World
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