# The Origin of RNA and the Formose–Ribose–RNA Pathway

## TL;DR

This paper explores how early chemical reactions on Earth led to the formation of RNA and the transition from simple chemical processes to complex life.

## Contribution

The paper unifies prior research into a single prebiotic metabolic pathway involving ribose and RNA formation.

## Key findings

- Prebiotic reactions contributed to the development of RNA and early life forms.
- The transition from RNA to DNA introduced new biological processes like photosynthesis.
- Stable reactions under changing conditions led to self-replicating, adaptable life systems.

## Abstract

Prebiotic pre-Darwinian reactions continued throughout biochemical or Darwinian evolution. Early chemical processes could have occurred on Earth between 4.5 and 3.6 billion years ago when cellular life was about to come into being. Pre-Darwinian evolution assumes the development of hereditary elements but does not regard them as self-organizing processes. The presence of biochemical self-organization after the pre-Darwinian evolution did not justify distinguishing between different types of evolution. From the many possible solutions, evolution selected from among those stable reactions that led to catalytic networks, and under gradually changing external conditions produced a reproducible, yet constantly evolving and adaptable, living system. Major abiotic factors included sunlight, precipitation, air, minerals, soil and the Earth’s atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. Abiotic sources of chemicals contributed to the formation of prebiotic RNA, the development of genetic RNA, the RNA World and the initial life forms on Earth and the transition of genRNA to the DNA Empire, and eventually to the multitude of life forms today. The transition from the RNA World to the DNA Empire generated new processes such as oxygenic photosynthesis and the hierarchical arrangement of processes involved in the transfer of genetic information. The objective of this work is to unite earlier work dealing with the formose, the origin and synthesis of ribose and RNA reactions that were published as a series of independent reactions. These reactions are now regarded as the first metabolic pathway.