What is now thought to have been the genetic material in the first living organisms on Earth?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The RNA World Hypothesis suggests that RNA was the genetic material in the first living organisms on Earth. RNA can both store genetic information and catalyze chemical reactions, making it a possible candidate for the first self-replicating molecule. While DNA is now the primary genetic material in living organisms, it is believed to have evolved from RNA. Protein and polypeptides are important components of living organisms, but they are not believed to have been the genetic material in the first living organisms.

What Is Now Thought to Have Been the Genetic Material