How did the discovery of ribozymes affect our understanding of the evolution of proteins and nucleic acids?
A) The discovery of ribozymes demonstrated that enzymes did not have to be proteins, and RNA enzymes (ribozymes) can be both information carrier and enzymatic molecule.
B) The discovery of ribozymes helped us understand how RNA only codes for proteins and does not act as an enzymatic molecule. This helped support the hypothesis of RNA world as an origin for living organisms on Earth.
C) The discovery of ribozymes verified that enzymes had to be proteins. This discovery helped to eliminate other theories about the origin of life in RNA world.
D) The discovery of ribozymes demonstrated definitively that ribozymes function only as an enzymatic molecule and therefore evolved before information carrier molecules.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The discovery of ribozymes showed that enzymes can be made of RNA and do not have to be proteins. RNA can function both as an information carrier and enzymatic molecule, which suggests that RNA may have played a significant role in the evolution of proteins and nucleic acids.

How Did the Discovery of Ribozymes Affect Our Understanding of the Evolution