雑誌掲載著作5

Dissolution of minerals in relation with the origin of life

K.Kawada, Advances in Colloid and Interface Science 71-72,299 (1997)

Abstract

It is believed that life on earth began in the sea. This suggests that the origin of life was the result of interactions between the land, the sea, primeval atmosphere, and sunlight. Here we studied the role that the dissolution of minerals has in the origin of life. We did this in four step:

(1)extraction of minerals from rocks that make up the earth's crust (i.e. granite, basalt, and serpentine);
(2) addition of these extracted minerals to water at different concentrations;
(3) exposure of this mineral-water solution to a prime atmosphere (by bubbling)to synthesize organic compounds; and (4) addition of lysozomes as enzymes, to accelerate the time frame.

The results; Microbe-like objects of about 1μm in size appeared to form in succession. After one or two days of standing still, they began to move around slowly. Then, after two months from appearance, size of colonies which had been formed by them reached to 8~10 μm. Some of the microbe-like objects shape up like a doughnut.