Thermodyanic equilibrium favors monomers, not polymers.

Space/Science » in reply to If you mix boric acid with a lot of things, you get polymers.

David F Mayer — 2/26/2009 2:52:34 PM (archived)

Left to itself, any protein will degrade to amino acids, any polysaccharide to simple sugars, any DNA to individual nucleotides. Polymerization requires free energy, and polyphosphate can provide it. Nothing else is likely to work, IMHO.

The whole thread (11 posts)

The origin of life on Earth - Raoul - 2/22/2009 10:33:54 AM
- Before there could be ribosomes, proteins, etc, there had to be a way to polymerize the monomers. - David F Mayer - 2/23/2009 2:51:51 AM
  - If you mix boric acid with a lot of things, you get polymers. - alcaray - 2/23/2009 11:20:48 AM
    - Thermodyanic equilibrium favors monomers, not polymers. - David F Mayer - 2/26/2009 2:52:34 PM
      - Kinetics Matter - Marsby - 2/27/2009 4:03:58 AM
        
        That is NOT the issue. The point is that, without driving energy, it is IMPOSSIBLE - David F Mayer - 2/27/2009 5:19:05 PM
      - I recommend that you do mix boric acid with some mineral oil. - alcaray - 2/27/2009 3:33:38 AM
      - re: Thermodyanic equilibrium favors monomers, not polymers. - gbaikie - 2/26/2009 8:41:02 PM
        
        Spam in space? - nick hoffman - 2/28/2009 1:15:52 PM
        
        Any of the polymers mentions will hydrolyze in water at room temperature. - David F Mayer - 2/27/2009 12:11:45 AM
- re: The origin of life on Earth - Raoul - 2/22/2009 4:23:26 PM

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