Created Thu 14th May 10:45am PST by 
jhouseholder
jhouseholder 
Which came first the chicken (DNA)or the egg (RNA)?
Background: British scientists said on Wednesday that they had figured out key steps in the process by which life on Earth may have emerged from a seething soup of simple chemicals, according to Agence France-Presse.
Genetic information in living organisms today is held in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the famous "double helix" molecule of sugar, phosphate and a base.
But DNA is too sophisticated to have popped up in an instant, and one avenue of thought says its single-stranded cousin, ribonucleic acid, or RNA, came first.
RNA plays a key role in making proteins and, in viruses, is used to store genetic code.
It is chemically similar to DNA but is simpler and tougher in structure, and thus looks like a good candidate for Earth's first information-coding nucleic acid.
But for all its allure, the "RNA first" theory has run into practical problems.
Now a paper published in the British journal Nature by University of Manchester chemists, led by Professor John Sutherland, ventures that an RNA-like synthesis took place through a series of chemical reactions and an important intermediate substance.
Genetic information in living organisms today is held in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the famous "double helix" molecule of sugar, phosphate and a base.
But DNA is too sophisticated to have popped up in an instant, and one avenue of thought says its single-stranded cousin, ribonucleic acid, or RNA, came first.
RNA plays a key role in making proteins and, in viruses, is used to store genetic code.
It is chemically similar to DNA but is simpler and tougher in structure, and thus looks like a good candidate for Earth's first information-coding nucleic acid.
But for all its allure, the "RNA first" theory has run into practical problems.
Now a paper published in the British journal Nature by University of Manchester chemists, led by Professor John Sutherland, ventures that an RNA-like synthesis took place through a series of chemical reactions and an important intermediate substance.
Settlement details:As reported by a major mainstream news source.
Forecast history %
| RNA came first |
| ||||
| DNA came first |
| ||||
| unknown at time of settlement |
| ||||
| neither or other |
|
Question suspends in 5 weeks
- Activity: H$10,511 |
- Predictions: 34 |
Comments: 2
Suspend date: Thu 31st Dec 11:59pm PST (5 weeks to go)
Initial likelihoods: RNA came first: 25%, DNA came first: 25%, unknown at time of settlement: 40%, neither or other: 10%
Action history:
Created Thu 14th May 10:45am PST by jhouseholder
jhouseholder 
Suspend date: Thu 31st Dec 11:59pm PST (5 weeks to go) details 
Get widget!Predictions (34)
corbelle
predicted unknown at time of settlement (H$50 at 82%)
sdrawkcabton88
predicted unknown at time of settlement (H$640 at 81%)
zusiman
mungo10
predicted RNA came first (H$100 at 12%)
predicted RNA came first (H$20 at 19%)Comments (2)
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This news is selected automatically based on the question, its background, options and tags
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score: 10
Times of India 27 weeks ago
An English chemist has found the hidden gateway to the RNA world, the chemical milieu from which the first forms of life are thought to have emerged on earth some 3.8 billion years ago. He has solved a problem that
score: 10
Times of India 27 weeks ago
An English chemist has found the hidden gateway to the RNA world, the chemical milieu from which the first forms of life are thought to have emerged on earth some 3.8 billion years ago. He has solved a problem that
score: 10
New Zealand Herald 27 weeks ago
broken new ground by being able to synthesise almost from scratch two of the four building blocks of RNA, the self-replicating molecule that many scientists believe to be the most likely contender for the original molecule of life. Dr Sutherland believes
score: 10
Telegraph 27 weeks ago
The team has broken new ground by being able to synthesise two of the four building blocks of RNA, the self-replicating molecule that many scientist believe to be the most likely contender for the original molecule of life. Dr Sutherland believes that he
score: 10
Telegraph 27 weeks ago
The team has broken new ground by being able to synthesise two of the four building blocks of RNA, the self-replicating molecule that many scientist believe to be the most likely contender for the original molecule of life. Dr Sutherland believes that he
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