If there is no clear demarcation, then what is abiogenesis all about?
How chemistry can span the gap between non-replicating molecules and replicating molecules that give rise to life. If non-life is "black" and life is "white" then abiogenesis is the gray in between.
And, on the basis of this (non-existent fair-tale grey) semi-organism, seen fit to ridicule creationists who have the audacity to peer into your petrie dish and say "hey, this isn't life, it's not even novel, just a chemical reaction between RNA and substrate that results in more RNA, until it runs out of substrate".
So you are saying that a self replicating RNA molecule has nothing to do with abiogenesis? Really? Perhaps you should think about that one again. Not only that, but these replicators are competing for limited resources, a necessity for evolution. Here is a quote from the abstract, in case you missed it:
quote:
An RNA enzyme that catalyzes the RNA-templated joining of RNA was converted to a format whereby two enzymes catalyze each other's synthesis from a total of four oligonucleotide substrates. These cross-replicating RNA enzymes undergo self-sustained exponential amplification in the absence of proteins or other biological materials.
These are replicating RNA enzymes. Replication is a hallmark of life.
If I start an experiment with one bacterium and come back the next day to find billions of bacteria would you claim that this is not an example of life since I just ended up with more of what I started with?
So, at the end of the day, you have an interesting chemical reaction that is interesting not because of any relevance to abiogenesis (you haven't gone anywhere - you end up with more of what you already started with)
Ending up with more of what you started with is exactly what life does. You might want to think about that for a second.
Edited by Taq, : No reason given.