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Russell is the originator of the theory that life emerged at alkaline submarine hydrothermal vents. Russell's theory is that hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and methane, released from submarine alkaline hydrothermal vents, acted upon nitrate, ferrous and ferric iron, carbon dioxide, and protons in ambient ocean waters to form simple organic ...
The mixture of seawater and alkaline hydrothermal vent fluid can promote cycling between Fe 3+ and Fe 2+. [33] Experimental research of biomimetic prebiotic reactions such as the reduction of NAD + [34] and phosphoryl transfer [35] also support an origin of life occurring at an alkaline hydrothermal vent .
Additionally, hydrothermal vents deliver significant concentrations of other biologically important trace metals to the ocean such as Mo, which may have been important in the early chemical evolution of the Earth's oceans and to the origin of life (see "theory of hydrothermal origin of life").
The deep sea or alkaline hydrothermal vent theory posits that life began at submarine hydrothermal vents. [ 228 ] [ 229 ] William Martin and Michael Russell have suggested that life evolved in structured iron monosulphide precipitates in a seepage site hydrothermal mound at a redox, pH, and temperature gradient between sulphide-rich ...
The earliest microfossils, dated to be 4.28 to 3.77 Ga, were found at hydrothermal vent precipitates. These microfossils suggest that early cellular life began at deep sea hydrothermal vents. [37] Exergonic reactions at these environments could have provided free energy that promoted chemical reactions conducive to prebiotic biomolecules. [30]
Life flourishes around the vents - including giant tubeworms reaching lengths of 10 feet (3 meters), mussels, crabs, shrimp, fish and other organisms beautifully adapted to this extreme environment.
Beside being a hotbed for organic compounds, the newfound site in the Arctic Ocean may be rich in copper and gold deposits.
The theory of panspermia speculates that life on Earth may have come from biological matter carried by space dust [92] or meteorites. [93] While current geochemical evidence dates the origin of life to possibly as early as 4.1 Ga, and fossil evidence shows life at 3.5 Ga, some researchers speculate that life may have started nearly 4.5 billion ...