Question at position 16 What surface is thought to have served as a site where nucleotides could be held together in close proximity?clayglasssandrockwaterClear my selection

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To approach this question, we evaluate what surface is proposed to have facilitated nucleotide proximity in origin-of-life scenarios.
Option clay: This is the historically discussed surface in some hypotheses (e.g., Clay hypothesis) where flat, layered clay minerals can adsorb nucleotides and catalyze polymerization by concentrating them and aligning them for bond formation. The charged surfaces and microenvironments of clays can promote chemical interactions, making clay a plausible site for nucleotides to be held close together.
Option glass: Glass is chemically inert and lacks the specific catalytic or adsorptive properties of clay surfaces. While it can hold materials, it does not conceptually provide the same catalytic microenvironment or surface chemistry that clays offer for nucleotide proximity and potential polymerization.
Option sand: Sand is typically silica-based and more inert; while it has surface area, it does not inherently provide the organized, reactive surfaces that clays provide for concentrating nucleotides or aiding bond formation. This makes it a weaker candidate in this context.
Option rock: General rock surfaces vary greatly in composition but are not typically invoked as the primary site for nucleotide juxtaposition or catalysis in origin theories, especially without a specific mineral surface that offers catalytic sites.
Option water: Water is the solvent and medium where nucleotides exist, but in terms of a surface to hold nucleotides close together, bulk water would actually dilute and separate them rather than bring them into proximity; thus water itself is not a surface that concentrates nucleotides for polymerization.
Overall, among the options, clay uniquely provides the combination of adsorptive capacity, charged surfaces, and catalytic potential that could bring nucleotides into close proximity and facilitate their polymerization, compared with glass, sand, rock, or water, which lack these specific features.

Question at position 16 What surface is thought to have served as a site where nucleotides could be held together in close proximity?clayglasssandrockwaterClear my selection

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