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In this episode of Discover Daily, we explore LUCA, the Last Universal Common Ancestor. Scientists have dated this single-celled organism from which all modern life descends, to 4.2 billion years ago - just 400 million years after Earth's formation. This ancient organism possessed remarkable complexity, including 2,600 protein-coding genes, a sophisticated immune system with 19 CRISPR genes, and the ability to perform complex metabolic processes near hydrothermal vents in Earth's earliest oceans.
Despite living during Earth's most violent period, when the planet was bombarded by meteorites and dominated by volcanic activity, LUCA thrived in an environment without oxygen, converting carbon dioxide and hydrogen into energy. Its genome was comparable in size to modern bacteria, challenging our understanding of how quickly complex life can develop. LUCA existed within a diverse ecosystem alongside other microbes and viruses, suggesting that biological diversity emerged much earlier than previously thought.
Recent genetic analysis reveals that LUCA's cellular machinery, while simpler than modern organisms, established the fundamental blueprint for all life on Earth. This discovery has significant implications for the search for extraterrestrial life, suggesting that complex organisms might emerge quickly under suitable conditions. Understanding LUCA's ancient immune system and metabolic pathways could also lead to new approaches in fighting disease and developing industrial processes.
From Perplexity's Discover Feed:
https://www.perplexity.ai/page/the-last-universal-common-ance-F_o_WexZSEmFZFKgVykYzQ
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