RNP world

The hypothesized transition from RNA to proteins to DNA

The RNP world is a hypothesized intermediate period in the origin of life characterized by the primary metabolic role of ribonucleoproteins. The period followed the hypothesized RNA world and ended with the formation of DNA and contemporary proteins. In the RNP world, RNA molecules began to synthesize peptides. These would eventually become proteins which have since assumed most of the diverse functions RNA performed previously. This transition paved the way for DNA to replace RNA as the primary store of genetic information, leading to life as we know it.

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