RNA may not have been the first hereditary system to develop Explain?

Answer 1

The properties of RNA make the idea of the RNA world hypothesis conceptually possible, although its plausibility as an explanation for the origin of life is debated. RNA is known to form efficient catalysts and its similarity to DNA makes its ability to store information clear.

A slightly different version of the hypothesis is that a different type of nucleic acid, termed pre-RNA, was the first one to emerge as a self-reproducing molecule, to be replaced by RNA only later. This claim has been made due to (to date) failed attempts to efficiently synthesize activated RNA nucleotides which have the capability to undergo self-polymerization. Suggestions for 'simpler' nucleic acids include Peptide nucleic acid (PNA), Threose nucleic acid (TNA) or Glycerol nucleic acid (GNA). Despite their structural simplicity and possessing properties as good or greater than RNA, the chemically plausible generation of such monomers or oligomers under potentially prebiotic conditions has yet to be demonstrated.

Answer 2

There are theories that suggest RNA may not have been the first hereditary system to develop on Earth because RNA molecules can be unstable and require specific conditions for replication. Other molecules like peptides or simple proteins may have served as the first hereditary system due to their greater stability and ability to catalyze reactions. The transition from these simpler systems to RNA-based life forms could have occurred over time through a process of chemical evolution.