HURDLE NUMBER 5. THE MISSING MONOMERS HURDLE.
The next quote is from the book How Life Began by L.R. Croft, Lecturer in Biological Sciences at The University of Salford, published by Evangelical Press, 1988, page 44:-
“A further difficulty is with the type of amino acids formed in primeval soup experiments (ie:- in the laboratory) - - - - - - - For instance - - - - tyrosine, tryptophane, and phenylalanine have not been discovered in (primeval) soup experiments. They are, however, essential for the construction of enzymes.”
The next quote is from the book Molecular Origin of Life edited by Andre Brack, published by Cambridge University Press, page 8 (Preface by Andre Brack of The Centre de Biophysique Moleculaire – Orleans, France)
“No successful preparation of a pyrimidine nucleotide has been reported.” (ie:- in the laboratory.)
(Note:- Essential Genetics by Anne Hodson, published by Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd, 1992 – tells us that pyrimidine nucleotides include cytosine which is one of the four nitrogenous bases that form the core of DNA and RNA.)
This next quote is from (the magazine) New Scientist, May 21st, 2016, volume 230, number 3074, page 15. Article (entitled) Life’s Origin Not So Tough If You Can Build Bits Of DNA In The Lab.
“How could a long complex molecule like RNA form spontaneously? - - - - no one knew of a plausible way to make two components of it (ie:- components of RNA), adenosine and guanosine.”
The next quote is from the book Chemical Evolution by S.E. Aw, Associate Professor in The Department of Biochemistry University of Singapore, published by University Education Press, pages 38 to 40:-
In Figure 7 the author lists the five purine and pyrimidine bases in DNA and RNA. One of these listed is THYMINE. On page 40 the author tells us “There is no recorded abiotic synthesis of - - - - thymine.”
The next quote is from the book Molecular Evolution And The Origin of Life by Sidney W. Fox (University of Miami) and Klaus Dose (of The Gutenberg Institute), published by W.H. Freeman and co. San Francisco, 1972, page 73:-
(In The Urey Miller Experiment) Miller was - - - - - unable to detect purines (and) pyrimidines.”
(Note:- The Urey Miller experiment is a famous origin of life experiment, in which Miller passed an electric discharge through a mixture of gases which simulated the atmosphere on the early Earth. Certain chemicals, including some amino acids were formed by this discharge. In this experiment, they were unable to detect pyrimidines, which are absolutely essential in the formation of RNA.)
(My comment on The Missing Monomers Hurdle:- If RNA is to form in the primordial soup, then the individual components of RNA must be available. According to the above quotes, these individual components are NOT available. In that case, it is “game over”. RNA simply cannot possibly form in the primordial soup!)