Episode 6/13: The Building Blocks of Building Blocks // A Course on Abiogenesis by Dr. James Tour

Dr. James Tour - Jesus, Science, Faith, Origin of Life & Abiogenesis

In this episode, Dr. James Tour pauses and goes back to the basics, in a most literal sense. The matter at hand is not merely synthesizing the four classes of compounds needed for life – polysaccharides/carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids – but rather their respective building blocks – monomeric sugars; amino acids; nucleotides; and fatty acids and glycerol. When restricted to prebiotic chemicals and methods, and with no store from which to purchase these building blocks while re…