Role of Amphiphilic Compounds in the Evolution of Membrane Structure on the Early Earth

Overview

Journal Orig Life Evol Biosph

Specialties Biology
Molecular Biology

Date 1986 Jan 1

PMID 3796965

Citations 21

Authors

D W Deamer

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

A variety of amphiphilic compounds have the capacity to self-assemble into membranous structures in the form of bilayers. The earliest cellular organisms must have incorporated such compounds into boundary membranes, and this review discusses amphiphilic components of the prebiotic environment which would be candidates. One possible source is organic material carried to the earth's surface by meteoritic infall. To test this, we have extracted and analysed non-polar substances from the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite, and found that at least some of the components can produce boundary structures which resemble membranes. This observation suggests that membranous boundary structures were present on the early earth, and available to participate in the origin and evolution of the first cellular forms of life.

Citing Articles

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The Construction of Biological 'Inter-Identity' as the Outcome of a Complex Process of Protocell Development in Prebiotic Evolution.

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