Figure 1.

A: central dogma. This schematic depicts the unidirectional flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein. While exceptions to this flow exist, such as reverse transcription in retroviruses, the central dogma remains a foundational principle in molecular biology. B: this schematic represents all the functions that would be necessary for achieving exponential growth within Eigen’s error threshold for a primordial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase ribozyme. Its self-replication is its biggest challenge along with folding and diversification. Meanwhile, each of these folded RNAs would act as a node within a network of short catalytic oligomers. C: example of the earliest reactions that could have dominated the early earth – adapted from “life as a guide to prebiotic nucleotide synthesis” [9]. William Martin and colleagues used many of these as the starter set for formation of an autocatalytic network which show promising networks with emergent properties.