Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2009, 10(4), 1853-1871; doi:10.3390/ijms10041853
Review

On the Free Energy That Drove Primordial Anabolism

Michael Kaufmannemail
The Protein Chemistry Group, Witten/Herdecke University, Stockumer Str. 10, 58448 Witten, Germany
Received: 26 March 2009; in revised form: 16 April 2009 / Accepted: 20 April 2009 / Published: 22 April 2009
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Origin of Life)
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Abstract: A key problem in understanding the origin of life is to explain the mechanism(s) that led to the spontaneous assembly of molecular building blocks that ultimately resulted in the appearance of macromolecular structures as they are known in modern biochemistry today. An indispensable thermodynamic prerequisite for such a primordial anabolism is the mechanistic coupling to processes that supplied the free energy required. Here I review different sources of free energy and discuss the potential of each form having been involved in the very first anabolic reactions that were fundamental to increase molecular complexity and thus were essential for life.
Keywords: Primordial Anabolism; Origin of Life; Free Energy

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MDPI and ACS Style

Kaufmann, M. On the Free Energy That Drove Primordial Anabolism. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2009, 10, 1853-1871.

AMA Style

Kaufmann M. On the Free Energy That Drove Primordial Anabolism. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2009; 10(4):1853-1871.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kaufmann, Michael. 2009. "On the Free Energy That Drove Primordial Anabolism." Int. J. Mol. Sci. 10, no. 4: 1853-1871.

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