Abstract:Generalizing Landau's spontaneous symmetry breaking arguments using the standard groupoid approach to stereochemistry allows reconsideration of the origin of biological homochirality. On Earth, limited metabolic free energy density may have served as a low temperature-analog to 'freeze' the system in the lowest energy state, the set of simplest homochiral transitive groupoids representing reproductive chemistries. These engaged in Darwinian competition until a single configuration survived. Subsequent path-dep… Show more
“…23 Fundamental studies of symmetry and asymmetry in materials and biomolecules have shed light on homochirality and informed knowledge advances including biological processes and the origins of life. [24][25][26] Homochirality is a fascinating phenomenon, describing the single chiral conformation of biomolecules as either left-handed (L-form) or right-handed (D-form), as depicted in Fig. 1.…”
“…23 Fundamental studies of symmetry and asymmetry in materials and biomolecules have shed light on homochirality and informed knowledge advances including biological processes and the origins of life. [24][25][26] Homochirality is a fascinating phenomenon, describing the single chiral conformation of biomolecules as either left-handed (L-form) or right-handed (D-form), as depicted in Fig. 1.…”
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