= RNA world hypothesis
{c}
= RNA world
{c}
{synonym}
The hypothesis proposes an early hereditary system in which <RNA> or closely related molecules carried sequence information and performed important <catalytic> functions. Modern <ribozymes>, <self-splicing introns> and the RNA-centred <ribosome> demonstrate relevant capacities; they do not by themselves prove a complete origin-of-life pathway. Nucleotide availability, copying fidelity, strand separation, energy supply and chemical stability remain separate constraints.
Back to article page
