Although DNA is the main hereditary material in all life- forms, it lacks one important characteristic to make it a candidate for the first life- form. Why have researchers rejected the idea that DNA was found in the first
Life- form?
A) Because it has only four different bases, it does not carry enough information; therefore, it cannot adapt and evolve.
B) The type of sugar found in DNA is much too complicated to have been present early in Earth's history.
C) It is not stable enough to have withstood early Earth's harsh atmosphere.
D) It does not function as a catalyst.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

DNA does not function as a catalyst, which is a critical role for the molecules in the earliest forms of life. Early life forms would have needed molecules that could both store genetic information and catalyze chemical reactions. RNA, for example, can act as a catalyst and is considered a more likely candidate for the first genetic material.

Although DNA Is the Main Hereditary Material in All Life-