Thread: The Ocean: The great mixing cauldron

Originally Posted by Lucid_boy

I'm sort of hung up on this issue as far as evolution goes. I get that the ocean was supposed to have mixed inorganic compuonds and get life but what I on't understand is how random mixing could have led to complex things like cells, wich have multiple parts and elaborate cycles that make the whole thing work. Any thoughts?

I think you're talking about abiogenesis, not evolution.

The ocean did not mix inorganic compounds together and get cells. Cells are far to complex to form by chance like that.
To explain the basic theory of Abiogensis to you, I present this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM6FGY2jvG8


After these simple, replicating, mutating compounds formed, the proven fact of evolution took over. After a couple billion years, the end product is what you see here:

Basically, RNA is a type of molecule which can make copies of itself. RNA is simple enough to form from basic chemical reactions. As soon as you get a molecule which can copy itself, the amount of that compound is going to explode.

An interesting fact is how quickly this happened; almost as soon as liquid water condensed, these molecules arose. This suggests that it's a very probable event. Not particularly surprising; RNA is simple, and the planet is big.

That's the basic insight you need. Then came the other details, such as cell walls, which actually form spontaneously from a simple type of molecule called phospholipids.

There isn't a complete picture yet but even with the current understanding, I think it's a very beautiful thing...

Thanks guys, really appreciate the feed back. Any other thoughts?

It also most likely didn't happen homogenously across the entire ocean. The key reactions most likely occured near energy sources, like geothermal vents.