As from non-living chemical elements appeared living organisms is an old issue facing scientists. But in a study published in the journal Physical Biology, researchers from Santa Fe offers quite plausible and integral explanation.

"We are trying to use the full knowledge from various disciplines," said Professor Eric Smith.

Creating life from scratch requires two basic "skills" - to capture carbon and to do for his own body what is possible. First paragraph - the Union of carbon atoms to create living matter. Carbon dioxide, which in such abundance is present on our planet, is a stable molecule, due to which it is extremely difficult to break. Chemical system can use carbon, only passing through highly unstable intermediate stages.

To fix carbon as necessary for life as difficult. The ability of carbon molecules to form stable relationships with four (or less) atoms makes it the perfect base for trillions of connections. After chemical system "has learned" to use carbon, it can expand in countless ways and combinations. In other words, the fixation of carbon is the Central process by which cells are taken chemicals in the environment and build products that support livelihoods. This is a universal communication Geochemistry of the Earth and biochemistry of life.

According to the authors what began as shaky and unstable geochemical scheme, was successively replaced and strengthened biological mechanism. Shestidesyateletiya article "the Logic of metabolism" is a new, coherent picture of how this complex system. "Think about life as an onion, each layer performs the functions of the mechanism of feedback that stabilizes and improves the ability to capture carbon," says brakman.

In the process, the conformity of chemical way the fact of the origin of life researchers affect more existential question: How likely is it that this was the only variant of development of events? Could this happen elsewhere? It is possible and even likely, the researchers say. Rocky planet, as a rule, is chemically similar to our world. So if the planet is volcanically and possibly tectonically active, he brakman, and also has the ocean, she probably has a hydrothermal vents that emit chemicals that create the potential conditions for life. In fact, the physics of the formation of stars and planets arranged quite reasonable and under such conditions of life leaves a lot of chances.

Smith warns, however, that we still have much to learn about the chemical and physical conditions that could lead to the emergence of life.