Origin of life and living matter in hot mineral water, Prof. I. Ignatov, Dr. O. Mosin. Water for origination of life. “Water on Earth has contained more deuterium molecules according to Dr. Mosin”.
Previous biological experiments with heavy water and structural-conformational studies with deuterated molecules, performed by us, enable to modeling conditions under which the first living forms of life might be evolved (Ignatov & Mosin, 2013a; Ignatov & Mosin, 2013b; Ignatov & Mosin, 2013c). The content of deuterium in hot mineral water may be increased due to the physical chemical processes of the deuterium accumulation. It can be presumed that primary water might contain more deuterium at early stages of evolution of first living structures, and deuterium was distributed non-uniformly in the hydrosphere and atmosphere (Ignatov & Mosin, 2012). The primary reductive atmosphere of the Earth consisted basically of gas mixture CO, H2, N2, NH3, CH4, lacked O2–O3 layer protecting the Earth surface from rigid short-wave solar radiation carrying huge energy capable to cause radiolysis and photolysis of water. The processes accompanying accumulation of deuterium in the hydrosphere are solar radiation, volcanic geothermal processes and electric discharges in the atmosphere. These natural processes could lead to the enrichment of the hydrosphere by deuterium in the form of HDO which evaporates more slowly than H2O, and condenses faster. If this is true, this is a significant fact regarding thermal stability of deuterated macromolecules in the preservation of life under thermal conditions, because chemical bonds with participation of deuterium are stronger than those ones formed of hydrogen.
Natural prevalence of deuterium makes up approximately 0.015–0.020 at.%, and depends strongly on the uniformity of substance and the total amount of matter formed in the course of early Galaxy evolution (Linsky, 2007). Constant sources of deuterium are explosions of nova stars and thermonuclear processes frequently occurring inside the stars. Probably, it could explain a known fact, why the amount of deuterium is slightly increased during the global changes of climate in warming conditions. The gravitational field of the Earth is insufficiently strong for the retaining of lighter hydrogen, and our planet is gradually losing hydrogen as a result of its dissociation into interplanetary space. Hydrogen evaporates faster than heavy deuterium, which can be collected by the hydrosphere. Therefore, as a result of this natural process of fractionation of H/D isotopes throughout the process of Earth evolution there should be an accumulation of deuterium in the hydrosphere and surface waters, while in the atmosphere and in water vapour deuterium content tends to be low. Thus, on the planet there occurs a natural process of separation of H and D isotopes, playing an essential role in the maintenance of life on the planet.
The second point regards the influence of temperature on the biochemical processes in living matter. Recent studies have shown that the most favorable for the origin of life and living matter seem to be hot alkaline mineral waters interacting with CaCO3 (Ignatov, 2010; Ignatov & Mosin, 2013d). According to the law for conservation of energy the process of self-organization of primary organic forms in water solutions may be supported by thermal energy of magma, volcanic activity and solar radiation. The accumulation of organic compounds in open lakes is more possible compared to the ocean. Life began near a hydrothermal vent: an underwater spout of hot water. Geothermal activity gives more opportunities for the origination of life. The origination of living matter most probably occurred in hot mineral water. This occurred in ponds and hydrothermal vents in seawater or hot mineral water. An indisputable proof of this is the presence of stromatolites fossils. They lived in warm and hot water in zones of volcanic activity, which could be heated by magma and seem to be more stable than other first sea organisms.