Abiogenesis (Origins)

by broken_cynic , Tuesday, August 09, 2011, 00:28 (4639 days ago) @ David Turell


> > > David Turell: Going from inorganic molecules to organic alone is a giant step, and the Earth started as inorganic. 
> > 
> > broken_cynic: I am a little confused as to what you mean by going from inorganic to organic since, in chemistry terms, organic just means that carbon is involved? It smacks of vitalism, but perhaps I misunderstand you.
> 
> David Turell: I meant exactly what I stated. Inorganic chemical reactions are child's play compared to organic reactions. It is much more than carbon is the key atom. It involved heat, enzymes, both metallic and organic. The molecules of life are huge and highly organized, To understand you would literally need some study of biochemistry.-
All well and good, but I wasn't talking about the processes or even the results. I meant that the materials and the laws that govern their interaction are the same stuff all the way down. In short, there is no élan vital to distinguish the inert from the living, the difference is all in the pattern of the dance (the arrangement and interaction of the same basic pieces.)