The Problem with Christians

[God of Mr. Hanky]

Polymerisation.

Your turn.

"The DNA polymerases are enzymes that create DNA molecules by assembling nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA. These enzymes are essential to DNA replication and usually work in pairs to create two identical DNA strands from one original DNA molecule. During this process, DNA polymerase “reads” the existing DNA strands to create two new strands that match the existing ones.
Every time a cell divides, DNA polymerase is required to help duplicate the cell’s DNA, so that a copy of the original DNA molecule can be passed to each of the daughter cells. In this way, genetic information is transmitted from generation to generation.
Before replication can take place, an enzyme called helicase unwinds the DNA molecule from its tightly woven form. This opens up or “unzips” the double stranded DNA to give two single strands of DNA that can be used as templates for replication.
DNA polymerase adds new free nucleotides to the 3’ end of the newly-forming strand, elongating it in a 5’ to 3’ direction. However, DNA polymerase cannot begin the formation of this new chain on its own and can only add nucleotides to a pre-existing 3'-OH group. A primer is therefore needed, at which nucleotides can be added. Primers are usually composed of RNA and DNA bases and the first two bases are always RNA. These primers are made by another enzyme called primase.
Although the function of DNA polymerase is highly accurate, a mistake is made for about one in every billion base pairs copied." http://www.news-medical.net/life-science...erase.aspx

For polymerisation to occur, you have to have a bunch of enzymes which are basically proteins that come from DNA. So how did the first DNA polymerisation reactions happen without the necessary enzymes? Seems like chicken and egg here.

You don't need DNA to get life started. Before that, it got by on RNA, and probably something different when starting out. However, some of the nucleotide monomers exist in the clay particles which flowing stream water interacts with - yes, it could have been as simple as that, so say the scientists at Cornell U:

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/...s-find.htm