In 2013, researchers constructed a vesicle that could copy a template strand of RNA. Which of the following best states the significance of this evidence with regard to the abiotic origin of life?
A) On early Earth, such vesicles could increase in abundance more than vesicles that could not copy a template strand of RNA.
B) On early Earth, such vesicles were better able to acquire energy than vesicles that could not copy a template strand of RNA.
C) This experimental achievement demonstrated that RNA is a more chemically stable repository of information than is DNA.
D) This experimental achievement proved that such vesicles could produce daughter protocells.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The ability of vesicles to copy a template strand of RNA suggests they could replicate genetic information, potentially leading to natural selection and increasing their abundance over vesicles that lacked this capability, which is a fundamental aspect of the hypothesis regarding the abiotic origin of life.

In 2013, Researchers Constructed a Vesicle That Could Copy a Template