Summary of the Darwinian Polymer Model (DPM):


Set-up:

A) High-energy phosphate (originally in the form of polyphosphate) was deposited locally on the Earth's surface due to volcanic action

B) A host of other small molecules were deposited in the same location from various sources.

C) The temperature was the boiling point of water.

D) The chemical potential of high-energy phosphate drove the formation of all steps in the DPM


Darwinian Polymers and Cellular Life:

1) The chemical potential of polyphosphate drove the formation of mixed phosphate polymers

2) The polymers became less mixed and more alike over many rounds of replication

3) Simple RNA-like polymers formed

4) The RNA polymers became capped by small chemicals

5) The caps linked together, forming new polymers (the cap polymers or proto-proteins)

6) Proto-proteins that helped the RNA polymers accumulate drove the optimization of translation

7) RNAs and proto-proteins developed increasing sequence complexity and function


(Ordering the precise timeline of the remaining steps requires further analysis)


8) Multifunction RNA polymers formed

9) DNA formed to protect the multifunction RNA polymers (nacent genomes)

10) Lipids formed to protect the polymers and slow diffusion

11) A means to efficiently convert solar energy to high-energy phosphate formed

12) Lipid membranes and multi-genome life formed

13) Cell division and modern life formed


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