Imagine a warm pond on the primordial Earth.Chance processes have just assembled a single copy of anRNA molecule with a catalytic site that can carry out RNAreplication. This RNA molecule folds into a structure thatis capable of linking nucleotides according to instructionsin an RNA template. Given an adequate supply of nucleo-tides, will this single RNA molecule be able to use itself as atemplate to catalyze its own replication? Why or why not?

Biochemistry
6th Edition
ISBN:9781305577206
Author:Reginald H. Garrett, Charles M. Grisham
Publisher:Reginald H. Garrett, Charles M. Grisham
Chapter28: Dna Metabolism: Replication, Recombination, And Repair
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 8P: Human Genome Replication Rate Assume DNA replication proceeds at a rate of 100 base pairs per second...
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Imagine a warm pond on the primordial Earth.
Chance processes have just assembled a single copy of an
RNA molecule with a catalytic site that can carry out RNA
replication. This RNA molecule folds into a structure that
is capable of linking nucleotides according to instructions
in an RNA template. Given an adequate supply of nucleo-
tides, will this single RNA molecule be able to use itself as a
template to catalyze its own replication? Why or why not?

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