Which theory suggests that early life formed on the surface of iron sulfide, creating an environment in which RNA could later form?

Which theory suggests that early life formed on the surface of iron sulfide, creating an environment in which RNA could later form?

• A. Endosymbiotic theory
• B. Primordial soup theory
• C. Iron-Sulfur World Theory
• D. Panspermia

Answer: (C)

Origin of life on mineral surfaces, with iron-sulfide minerals acting as catalysts and energy sources for early chemistry. The Iron-Sulfur World Theory, proposed by Wächtershäuser, suggests that life began on the surfaces of iron-sulfide minerals near hydrothermal vents. These mineral surfaces would concentrate small molecules and catalyze chemical reactions, creating the metabolic networks that could drive increasingly complex organic chemistry. In this environment, RNA or its precursors could emerge later once enough basic chemistry and energy flow were established on the mineral surface. This view differs from endosymbiotic theory (organelles arising from internalized bacteria), primordial soup (dissolved organic molecules forming in ocean water without a mineral surface), and panspermia (life arriving from outer space).

Origin of life on mineral surfaces, with iron-sulfide minerals acting as catalysts and energy sources for early chemistry. The Iron-Sulfur World Theory, proposed by Wächtershäuser, suggests that life began on the surfaces of iron-sulfide minerals near hydrothermal vents. These mineral surfaces would concentrate small molecules and catalyze chemical reactions, creating the metabolic networks that could drive increasingly complex organic chemistry. In this environment, RNA or its precursors could emerge later once enough basic chemistry and energy flow were established on the mineral surface. This view differs from endosymbiotic theory (organelles arising from internalized bacteria), primordial soup (dissolved organic molecules forming in ocean water without a mineral surface), and panspermia (life arriving from outer space).