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Connor McCormick ☀️
@nor
What’s the biggest open question in biology?
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Thomas
@aviationdoctor.eth
I’m not a biologist, but I’d say the question of how and where abiogenesis happened is up there on the list — at what point did inorganic chemical compounds organize into self-replicating, living systems?
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notdevin
@notdevin.eth
Have you read Nick Lanes The Vital Question? Highly recommended —- summary of his view on this Nick Lane hypothesizes that life’s origin began in deep-sea alkaline vents, where hydrogen-rich fluids from the vents meet acidic ocean water. This creates natural proton gradients across mineral walls, fueling early metabolism-like reactions. Hydrogen reacting with CO₂ forms simple organics, and the vents’ tiny pores act like proto-cell compartments. Over time, lipid membranes replace mineral barriers, enabling self-maintained gradients and internal chemistry. Unlike sporadic energy sources (e.g., lightning), these vents offer a steady, gentle power supply, supporting continuous chemical evolution toward living cells.
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Thomas
@aviationdoctor.eth
Certainly consistent with the evidence that we came from the oceans, too
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notdevin
@notdevin.eth
What I love about his theory on this is that it started with the question of “how do cells keep their insides separate from the outside?” The micro pores are key here because their shape and the fluid dynamics swirling around were able to create a cell wall before there’s a cell wall, and the fluid dynamics with the given chemical cocktail could produces bubbles of lipids or relevant precursors which could then scaffold a real cell wall
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