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Origin of homochirality in biological systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 September 2005

S. Toxvaerd
S. Toxvaerd
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, H. C. Ørsted Institute, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark e-mail: tox@st.ki.ku.dk
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Abstract

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Models for segregation of racemic mixtures of chiral amphiphiles and lipophiles in aqueous solutions show that the amphiphiles with active isomerization kinetics can perform a spontaneous symmetry break during the segregation and self-assemble to homochiral matter. Based on physico-chemical facts, it is argued that D-glyceraldehyde, which was synthesized from the volatiles at the hydrothermal reactors at the origin of life, could be the origin of homochirality in biological systems.

Keywords

D-glyceraldehydehomochiralityorigin of life
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , January 2005 , pp. 43 - 48
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press