Until a few years ago, ALL theories of the origin of life on Earth had a fatal flaw. No matter what bio-molecules one is talking about, polysaccharides, polynucleotides, poly-amino acids; none of these can not endure. They are all thermodynamically unstable with respect to hydrolysis: In water they all tend to de-polymerize. Some really strange and fanciful ad hoc notions were presented to counter this problem, but none of them worked, until polyphosphates were considered.

Nearly all polymerization of sugars, nucleotides, and amino acids in living organisms are driven by ATP or some other organic phosphate molecule.

Inorganic polyphosphate also drives such polymerization, and if the supply is continuously renewed, can push the polymerization status of molecules very far from equilibrium. In addition, polyphosphate can drive the formation of organic compounds from inorganic compounds, creating the feedstocks for later abiogenesis.

OK, but what would renew polyphosphates? Answer: Ultra-violet light polymerizes monophophate into polyphosphate, and there was PLENTY of UV hitting the oceans in the early history of the Earth. This would produce a trend toward polymerization that could have catalyzed the formation of the original life forms.

Hence, a rather strange (to us) form of photosynthesis was likely the ultimate engine that brought life into existence. Later, organisms adopted the use of polyphosphates for their own internal metabolism.

David F Mayer