ribose
HURDLE NUMBER 11. THE RIBOSE HURDLE.
RNA is composed of a “chain” of nucleotides. Each nucleotide is composed of a phosphate group, a sugar, and a nucleoside. The sugar is a specific form of sugar known as RIBOSE. If the primeval soup does not supply ribose, then RNA cannot form. The problem is that the primeval soup DOES NOT AND CANNOT supply ribose. Here are some quotes from authoritative sources that substantiate this statement:-
Here is a quote from the book Signature in The Cell – DNA and The Evidence For Intelligent Design by Stephen C. Meyer (Ph.D. from Cambridge University in Philosophy of Science), published by HarperOne, 2009, pages 302 to 303:-
Meyer tells us that the presence of the nitrogen-rich chemicals necessary for the production of nucleotide bases PREVENTS THE PRODUCTION OF RIBOSE SUGARS. (My capitals.) Yet both ribose and the nucleotide bases are needed to build RNA (or DNA). Meyer continues, quoting Dean Kenyon (Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Francisco State University), who tells us that “The chemical conditions proposed for the prebiotic synthesis (of nucleotide bases) are - - - - incompatible with those proposed for the synthesis of ribose.” Meyer then quotes Robert Shapiro (Professor of Chemistry at New York University):- “The evidence - - - - does not support the availability of ribose on the prebiotic Earth except - - - - - under conditions unsuitable for nucleoside synthesis.”
The next quote is from New Scientist (magazine), volume 230, issue number 3069, issue for April 16th 2016, page 12, article:- Sugar-coated Clue to Life’s origins, by Joshua Sokol:-
“(The) sugar - - - ribose (is) the backbone of RNA - - - - It was unclear how ribose could be made without living organisms - - - - - Sugars like ribose often bind in a way that makes them hard to come by individually. “Sugars like to react with one another” – says Cornelia Meinert at The University of Nice Sophia Antipolis in France.”
(My comment:- Ribose cannot be synthesized in the primordial soup; and even if it could be, it would bind together with other ribose molecules, and would therefore be unavailable for making RNA. If RNA cannot be synthesized in the primordial soup, then life cannot get kick-started.)
The next quote is from the book – The Molecular Origins of Life, edited by Andre Brack, published by Cambridge University Press, 1998. Article:- The Endogenous Synthesis of Organic Compounds, by Stanley Miller (Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California), pages 59 to 85:-
(Pages 73 to 74) – “ It is difficult to envision - - - - how any prebiotic reaction producing sugars could give mostly ribose - - - - The second problem with ribose is its instability - - - - - ribose cannot be considered a prebiotic reagent unless it is used immediately after its prebiotic synthesis.”
The next quote is from the book The Origins of Life On The Earth by Stanley L. Miller (of The University of California, San Diego) and Leslie Orgel (of The Salk Institute, California), published by Prentice Hall, 1974, page 112:-
“Sugars are unstable in aqueous solution - - - - they are destroyed in a time not very much longer than the time needed for their synthesis.”
The next quote is from page 122 of the same book:-
“Sugars (ie:- like ribose) also react rapidly - - - -with various other inorganic and organic compounds. “
The next quote is from page 153 of the same book:-
The sugar components of the nucleic acids (ie:- of RNA and DNA) – ribose - - - - are much less stable in aqueous solutions - - - - It is, therefore, harder to understand how they could have accumulated prebiotically.”
The next quote is from the book Thermodynamics and The Development of Order, edited by Emmet L. Williams, published by Creation Research Society Books, Third Printing, 1992 Article – The development of order by David R. Boylan (Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering), pages 47 to 49:-