Conclusion

Overview of the evolution of biological energy conversion

In the thermosynthesis theory metabolic reactions are acquired in the following order:

peptide bond and phosphate bond synthesis (PTS)
ion transfer across the membrane (MTS and PS0).
charge separation reactions, with their redox chemistry, become possible with BPS.
Respiration (BRS), use of the free energy energy difference between two redox couples. Respiration becomes possible upon the acquisition of proteins that permit electron transfer to the enzyme set used by BPS.

The driving force for evolution is the increase in power, the energy gained per unit of time. In the sequence PTS - MTS - PS0 - BPS - BRS the energy gained per power stroke remains about the same, but the cycle time of the stroke decreases. For PTS and MTS the relevant time is the cycle time of convection, which small be larger than say 10 s; for PS0 it is the the cycle time of light-intensity fluctuations just under the surface of natural waters, about 1 s. For BPS and BRS it is the diffusion time of quinones across the membrane, about 0,001 s.

Although several other origin of life models mention the importance of metabolism, they do not give detail. If reactions are mentioned at all, they generally concern the Krebs citric acid cycle, or glycolysis. The implicit assumption is often that fermentation was the primordial energy source. Fermentation requires however a large concentration of high-energy substrates and a large set of enzymes. TS requires only one enzyme and is much simpler, an important selection criterion during origin of life modelling.

Thermosynthesis explains the origin of life

Thermosynthesis gives a valid solution to the problem of the origin of life, maybe the greatest scientific problem ever (for a discussion of the origin of life, see [Keos78, Cair82, Stei84, Wick87, Wach88, Oro90, Laha99]). It may not answer all questions in detail, but it gives an overall picture. Remaining fuzzy spots are easily identifiable, and experiments may result in bringing the partial processes of TS in a better focus, leading to the addition of new, it is hoped fitting, pieces.

New pieces may lead to rearrangement of small parts of the puzzle may have to be rearranged, but the author doubts whether that will be necessary for the major parts.

Medawar: [Meda85]
However dim it may be, a first conception of how life might have come about is a necessary condition for further progress.

Thermosynthesis gives more than 'a first conception', it gives a detailed and specific model for how life can have emerged; in addition it explains many observations and experimental results. Why ATP? Why the binding change mechanism for ATPsynthase? What is the origin of protein-phosphorylation and regulation by Ca²⁺, which are so important in biochemistry? What came first, the chicken or the egg? What was the first metabolic reaction? Why the stalk in bacterial reaction centers? Why inactive Photosystem 2 reaction centers? Why has it been so difficult to determine the H⁺/ ATP ratio of ATPsynthase? Why do organisms perform vertical migrations through thermoclines?

Experimental Proof of the Thermosynthesis Theory

These pages show the extremely large explanatory power of Thermosynthesis. Astronomy, being a mostly observational science, can do few experiments, but in the rest of science experiments are crucial.

Lahav [Laha99] has descibed an experimental setup for the creation of life. It is proposed to add convection to this system, which can easily be established by the addition of heating and cooling.

Note that the setup of Miller's classical experiment for the synthesis of small biomolecules involves combined heating/cooling as well. In this context the recent experiments by Krishnan et al. Kris02] and Braun et al. [Brau03a, Brau03b] on DNA amplification in a convection cell and on DNA concentration in a thermal gradient are of great interest. These experiments show that when NTPs are available, the synthesis of nucleic acids is easy. Note that Cody et al. have recently demonstrated the synthesis of the bases during primordial conditions [Cody??] .

By combining these experimental approaches with thermosynthesis an experimental proof may indeed be given, which may therefore be not far away.
Thermosynthesis shows how life in the rest of the Universe could look, and identifies environments on Earth where TS still could occur. Thermosynthesis yields a completely new view on the world around us. It is a truly new paradigm.