Claim CB015:
DNA needs certain proteins in order to replicate. Proteins need DNA to
form. Neither could have formed naturally without the other already in
existence.
Source:
Morris, Henry M. 1985. Scientific Creationism. Green Forest, AR: Master
Books, pp.
47-48.
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. 1985. Life--How Did It Get
Here? Brooklyn, NY, pg. 45.
Response:
- DNA could have evolved gradually from a simpler replicator; RNA is a
likely candidate, since it can catalyze its own duplication (Jeffares
et al. 1998; Leipe et al. 1999; Poole et al. 1998). The RNA itself
could have had simpler precursors, such as peptide nucleic acids
(Böhler et al. 1995).
A deoxyribozyme can both catalyze its own replication and function to
cleave RNA -- all without any protein enzymes (Levy and Ellington
2003).
References:
- Böhler, C., P. E. Nielsen, and L. E. Orgel. 1995. Template
switching between PNA and RNA oligonucleotides. Nature 376:
578-581. See also: Piccirilli, J. A., 1995. RNA seeks its maker.
Nature 376: 548-549.
- Jeffares, D. C., A. M. Poole and D. Penny. 1998. Relics from the RNA
world. Journal of Molecular Evolution 46: 18-36.
- Leipe, D. D., L. Aravind, and E. V. Koonin. 1999. Did DNA replication
evolve twice independently? Nucleic Acids Research 27: 3389-3401.
- Levy, Matthew and Andrew D. Ellington. 2003. Exponential growth by
cross-catalytic cleavage of deoxyribozymogens. Proceedings of the
National Academy of Science USA 100(11):
6416-6421.
- Poole, A. M., D. C. Jeffares, and D. Penny. 1998. The path from the
RNA world. Journal of Molecular Evolution 46: 1-17.
created 2001-2-17, modified 2003-10-2
