Videos
Why do scientists currently believe that RNA, rather than DNA, was the informational molecule in the first cells?
To determine: The reason the scientists believe RNA and not DNA to be the informational molecule in the first cells.
Introduction: Cell is the basic “fundamental unit” of life. Cells can either be unicellular or multicellular. The organisms with one cell are referred to as unicellular organisms, whereas the organisms with more than one cell are termed as multicellular organisms. The genetic information is passed on from one generation to the next with the help of genes.
Explanation of Solution
According to the central dogma, the information is transcribed from DNA to RNA and then it is finally translated from RNA into proteins. DNA acts as an informational molecule and in order to transfer information it needs to get replicated. DNA replication takes place with the help of certain pre-existing enzymes which are produced with the help of information found in DNA. Monomer subunits of RNA are responsible for producing monomer subunits of DNA with the help of certain enzymes. Ribozymes are catalytic RNAs which help in RNA replication without the requirement of enzymes whose information is found in DNA.
Therefore, this is the main reason that the scientists think that RNA and not DNA was the informational molecule in first cells as formation of certain enzymes which help in the production of DNA has been done from the information encoded within the DNA and RNA subunits act as precursors for enzymatic production of building blocks of DNA as ribozymes assist in RNA replication without the requirement of enzymes encoded by DNA.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 4 Solutions
Becker's World of the Cell (9th Edition)
- What lines of reasoning support the hypothesis that the firstself-replicating systems were based on RNA molecules?arrow_forwardIf RNA played a key role in the origin of life,why do cells now use DNA for information storage and proteins to carry out other cellular processes?arrow_forwardBy one hypothesis, clay________. a. facilitated assembly of early polypeptides b. was present at hydrothermal vents c. provided energy for early metabolism d. served as an early genomearrow_forward
- What would happen if the DNA and RNA that are mixed together came from very different organisms, for example a worm and a pig?arrow_forwardFirst there was the RNA world, and now we have a DNA world. Why would natural selection favor the transition to a DNA-based world?arrow_forwardHow would sequencing the entire genome of an organism help scientists to understand how that organismfunctioned?arrow_forward
- What significance does the relative size of exons and introns have for the evolution of genes and of gene function?arrow_forwardSubject: Microbiology Some scientists suggest that mutation is the single most important event in evolution. Do you agree? Why or why not?arrow_forwardWhy would a geneticist study a yeast cell or a fruit fly or a mouse in order to understand human genes and human biology?arrow_forward
- What were the two major goals of the Human Genome Project? Select all that apply. a to isolate each gene b to identify all DNA base sequences c to identify noncoding regions d to find a cure for cancerarrow_forwardWhy do scientist believe RNA was the first molecule to form life?arrow_forwardbefore the advent of recombinant DNA technology why was it so difficult for generations to map human genes by using pedigrees how did recombinant DNA technology help move things forward.arrow_forward
Human Heredity: Principles and Issues (MindTap Co...BiologyISBN:9781305251052Author:Michael CummingsPublisher:Cengage Learning