PortalsOS

Eukaryotes are significant because they represent a singularity in the history of life on Earth, arising once about 2 billion years ago. This event gave rise to all complex life, despite bacteria and archaea having a greater genetic repertoire.

The origin of life might be linked to deep-sea hydrothermal vents, where mineralized sponges with cell-like pores could have facilitated the formation of life by providing a structured environment for chemical reactions.

The adaptation of cells to internal selection pressures, rather than external environments, may explain why single-celled algae and complex multicellular organisms share similar cellular structures.

Nick Lane argues that life on other planets is likely to be carbon-based and water-dependent due to the commonality of these elements. He suggests that out of a thousand planets with life, 999 might follow this pattern, with only one being radically different.

The Earth acts like a giant battery, producing little living cell mini-batteries through hydrothermal vents. This fascinating theory suggests that the structure of cells mirrors the Earth's own structure, with electrons inside and a relatively oxidized outside.

Hydrothermal vents, driven by the mineral olivine, are likely to be found on any wet, rocky planet. These vents produce hydrogen gas in alkaline fluids, a fundamental process that could lead to the emergence of life.

The emergence of eukaryotes is seen as a major bottleneck in the development of complex life. Despite the vast number of planets that could potentially give rise to eukaryotes, it seems this event is incredibly rare, with Earth being a unique example.

Nick Lane explains that protocells in hydrothermal vents could self-organize and grow by deterministic chemistry, leading to early forms of heredity. This sets the stage for more complex life forms.

The fundamental bottleneck in the evolution of life is not the transition from geochemistry to early life, but rather the development from nucleotides to RNA, DNA, and ribosomes. This suggests that early life forms could be common, but complex life is less so.

Despite the vast number of planets, the unique development of eukaryotes on Earth suggests that while other methods of achieving complexity might exist, they are not easily realized in nature.