There are a number of theories about how life began on Earth, but one new study published October 3 in the journal ACS Nano suggests that the building blocks of life could have been created with liquid crystals.
Are Liquid Crystals Responsible for the Origins of Life on Earth?
RNA can form liquid crystals that allow up to 12 nucleotides to form short chains, which could then link into longer ones. This image, obtained with polarized optical microscopy, shows such RNA liquid crystals. (Credit: American Chemical Society)
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