Clay may seem like a less fertile, more mineral mixture, but it may be the birthplace of life on Earth. In simulated ancient sea water, clay forms hydrogels-made up of tiny spaces (like sponges) that absorb liquids. Over the past billions of years, chemicals trapped in these spaces may have undergone complex reactions, forming proteins, deoxyribonucleic acids and systems that eventually form living bubbles. The hydrogels formed by clay may imprison and protect the above chemical processes until the cell membrane enclosing living vesicles is developed.
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The role of clay in the origin of life on earth