The First Cell

[David Blacklock]

Reconstructing the very first cell:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=sci ... e-to-recon

Harvard Medical School researchers report in Nature that they have built a model of what they believe the very first living cell may have looked like, which contains a strip of genetic material surrounded by a fatty membrane. The membranes of modern cells consist of a double layer of fatty acids known as phospholipids. But in designing a membrane for their cell, scientists worked with much simpler fatty acids that they believe existed on a primeval Earth, when the first cell likely formed. The key, says study co-author Jack Szostak, a Harvard geneticist, was to develop one porous enough to let in needed nutrients (such as nucleotides, the units that make up genetic material, or DNA) but strong enough to protect the genetic material inside and keep it from slipping out after replicating.

In an attempt to duplicate an early cell, scientists put fatty acids (that were likely membrane candidates) and a strip of DNA into a test tube of water. While in there, the fatty acids formed into a ring, or membrane, around the genetic segment. The researchers then added nucleotides—units of genetic material—to the test tube to determine whether they would penetrate the membrane and copy the DNA inside it. Their findings: the nucleotides did enter the cell, latch onto and replicate the DNA over 24 hours.

Part of text abstracted from June 12 "Nature" and presented in SciAm

DB

[Canuckster1127]

Sounds like they went to a lot of tiime, effort and trouble to decide how that cell would have to be designed in order to be viable .....

[zoegirl]

DOesn't do anything to disprove the invovlement of God.

[David Blacklock]

Hi Canuck & Zoegirl,

>>Doesn't do anything to disprove the involvement of God<<

No, it certainly doesn't.

>>Sounds like they went to a lot of tiime, effort and trouble to decide how that cell would have to be designed in order to be viable .....<<

Yes, they certainly did!

DB

[Silvertusk]

Still doesn't explain how the fatty acids and nucletoids came about in the first place.

Silvertusk.

[Himantolophus]

They are not doing this to disprove God, they are trying to find out if a cell could form by natural means.

I for one am curious to see how far this group of researchers can get. Science is slowly but surely piecing things together.

[zoegirl]

Maybe those specific ones aren't trying to disprove God, but plenty of atheists are ecstatic over this, thus my point. Their claim that it was a "natural" event means nothing

And why in the world are we so willing to place the term "natural" over this anyway? If they ever successfully "design " a cell, it never disproves God, nor His involvement. It merely shows what was needed for the materials and conditions.

[Gman]

I think if a cell can form by it's own via naturalistic means, then it doesn't need God or any type of divine intervention to form itself... In this case the Harvard Medical School researchers seem to be playing God.

[Himantolophus]

can't argue with that, they are technically "designing" a cell

[David Blacklock]

>>They are not doing this to disprove God, they are trying to find out if a cell could form by natural means. I for one am curious to see how far this group of researchers can get. Science is slowly but surely piecing things together.<<

I'm with you, Himantolophus. It's exhilarating to live in a time when so many discoveries are being made. With the new breed of telescopes that can unfuzzy the earth's atmosphere, astronomy and cosmology are exploding; the CERN particle accelerator will soon run; biotech and nanotech are booming - what a time to be alive!

BTW, why did you name yourself after the football fish?

DB

[Silvertusk]

Well - maybe it will ever happen - but what if science finally disproves God. What then is left for mankind. Their fate is already sealed - total oblivion in a dead universe. Everything will be futile - we will all be the butt of the biggest cosmic joke ever because all our dreams and aspiriations will be totally meaningless and we will be the most cursed as we will be aware of our predicament.

I cannot live in that universe and if it is the case I honestly believe it would be better that I have never been born at all.

Silvertusk.

[David Blacklock]

IMHO, science will never disprove God. I'm not the least bit worried about it.

DB

[Byblos]

IMHO, science will never disprove God. I'm not the least bit worried about it.

If science proves the non-existence of God, we must then re-examine the proof. A tool cannot be used to prove the non-existence of its manufacturer.

[Gman]

Well - maybe it will ever happen - but what if science finally disproves God. What then is left for mankind. Their fate is already sealed - total oblivion in a dead universe. Everything will be futile - we will all be the butt of the biggest cosmic joke ever because all our dreams and aspiriations will be totally meaningless and we will be the most cursed as we will be aware of our predicament.

I cannot live in that universe and if it is the case I honestly believe it would be better that I have never been born at all.

Silvertusk.

No matter how hard they try, I seriously doubt that scientists could ever disprove God... But you are right, a Godless world would be meaningless. Strange to see why anyone would fight to get God out of the equation... I have no clue why.

[Himantolophus]

BTW, why did you name yourself after the football fish?

I've always had a thing for anglerfishes. They are just cool looking