Origin of Homochirality: The Formation and Stability of Homochiral Peptides in Aqueous Prebiological Environment in the Earth’s Crust

Abstract

The oldest forms of living organisms on Earth are about 3.5 billion years old, and they are found in hydrothermal deposits, and it is often hypothesized that life originated there. However, hydrothermal systems with a fairly strong flow of chemical components are not the optimal place for the prebiological self-assembly of biomolecules and for the emergence of homochirality. This article examines the possibility that the self-assembly of homochiral molecules took place in an aqueous environment in the Earth’s crust. Based on the latest literature regarding the conditions in the lithosphere, there are several factors that point to the fact that the crust could be the location for the prebiological self-assembly of biomolecules, and there is nothing against it. The crust and the mantle contain a substantial amount of water, and at the time prior to the emergence of life, the crust most likely contained the necessary chemical substances for the synthesis of biomolecules and an aqueous environment where homochirality could be established.