Nick Lane, “A Matter of Energy: Biology From First Principles” (Open Agenda, 2021)
New Books in Science
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How Different Are Bacteria and Archaic Membranes?
Bacteria and archaal membranes are very similar in their biophysical properties. They have similar conductants, for example. But its convergent evolution, because they are different in their chemistry. All t ameno acids are an effectiv efgo an enzyne. It's got to take one hand or the other. Is just an awful lot of new inventions you've got to do to switch from one to the other. So this is a deep paradox about this distinction in the lippes. And so far as we know, all arcaa have got the left hand od version, and all bacteria have got the right hand of version,. whel the other way round
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