The Rise of A Habitable Planet: Four Required Conditions for the Origin of Life in the Universe

Abstract

The advanced version of the author’s inversion concept of the origin of terrestrial life and its application for life in the Universe has been substantiated. A key step in the transition to life consists in the thermodynamic inversion of non-living prebiotic microsystems when the contributions of free energy (F) and information (I) become prevalent over the contribution of entropy (S). It is based the thermodynamic corridor that is mandatory for all chemical scenarios for the origin of life: F + I < S (prebiotic microsystem) → F + I ≈ S (intermediate stage, inversion moment) → F + I > S (primary living unit). A prebiotic organic microsystem can reach the intermediate state between non-life and life only under high-frequency and multilevel oscillations of physic-chemical parameters in hydrothermal environments. The oscillations are considered the fourth required condition for the origin of life, in addition to the three well-known ones: the availability of organic matter, an aqueous medium, and a source of energy. The emergence of initial life sparks in nonequilibrium prebiotic microsystems (being at the intermediate state) proceeds through the continuous response (counteraction) of prebiotic microsystems to incessant physic-chemical oscillations (stress). The next step of laboratory simulations on the origin of life directed to the exploration of the microsystems’ response to high-frequency oscillations (>10−10 s–<30 min) is proposed. Finally, some fragments of the general scenario of the origin of life in the Universe based on the whole four required conditions have been outlined.

Molecules to Microbes

“…Figure 2 is a schematic representation of an oscillating prebiotic microsystem whereby the primary living unit (probiont) emerges as a result of the surplus free energy (prevalent over entropy) as shown by the red arrows. To verify his own concept, Kompanichenko has put forward a new experimental set-up pertaining to prebiotic chemistry under oscillating conditions [6]. Vladimir Kompanichenko (Russian Academy of Science, Birobidzhan), proposed a mechanism by which life could have emerged entitled: "Thermodynamic inversion: origin of living systems."…”

Thermodynamic Jump from Prebiotic Microsystems to Primary Living Cells

“…A general scheme of the suggesting laboratory simulations is given in [6]. Various combinations of two constituents should be examined in the experimental chamber: different kinds of prebiotic models (RNA, Lipid, and Proteinoide Worlds) and regimes of physic-chemical oscillations (varying amplitudes, frequencies, and periods).…”

“…The first step in this experimental method would be finding the most promising combination of prebiotic models and characteristic regimes of oscillations which provide obvious signs of an intermediate state between non-life and life. According to the preliminary evaluation, the regular constituent of the oscillations should be within the interval between split second and 30 min [6].…”

“…By now nature of this gap is not satisfactory explained in the framework of the three existing approaches to evolution of cells: compositional (or metabolism-first), RNA-world (or genes-first) and cellular (last universal common ancestor). This paper briefly discusses the thermodynamic approach to understanding nature of the Evolution Jump based on the author's inversion concept [5,6], and how this scenario can be linked to the provisions of Schrödinger.…”

“…Right, green is the primary living microorganism (half). Its evolutionarily advanced form is shown-a modern prokaryotic cell with basic cellular structures: a nucleoid (circular DNA), ribosomes and a cell membrane[6].…”