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What was life’s first sunblock?

 Tarlike polymers in the early oceans may have prevented ultraviolet light from destroying the first nucleic acids and amino acids.

References:

Additional information about the Origins of Earth can be found at the University of Arizona's Website at http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/courses/EEB105/lectures/Origins_of_Life/origins. html.

Additional information can be found at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Center for Studies of Origins of Life Website at http://www.rpi.edu/~whittd/COOL/astro.html.

Additional information about the origins of life in the universe can be found at NASA's Website at http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/oss/pubs/origins.htm.

Cleaves, H.J., and S.L. Miller. 1998. Oceanic protection of prebiotic organic compounds from UV radiation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 95(June 23):7260.

Sources:

Christopher F. Chyba
University of Arizona
Department of Planetary Sciences
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
1629 East University Boulevard
Tucson, AZ 85721-0092

Stanley L. Miller
University of California, San Diego
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093

 

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