Page 224 - The Miracle of Protein

222 THE MIRACLE OF PROTEIN

solved. An article published at the time in Chemical Engineer-
ing magazine commented on Fox's experiment:
Sydney Fox and the other researchers managed to unite the
amino acids in the shape of "proteinoids" by using very special

heating techniques under conditions, which in fact did not ex-
ist at all in the primordial stages of Earth. Also, they are not at
all similar to the very regular proteins present in living things.
They are nothing but useless, irregular chemical stains. It was
explained that even if such molecules had formed in the early
ages, they would definitely be destroyed. 122
Indeed, the proteinoids that Fox obtained were far from

having the function and structure of real proteins. The differ-
ence was as great as between a pile of scrap metal and a com-
plex technological device.
Furthermore, this meaningless collection of amino acids
had no way of survival in the primordial atmosphere. Under

the destructive conditions of the time, intense ultraviolet rays
and uncontrolled natural phenomena would cause these pro-
teinoids to break down with no opportunity to continue com-
bining. The Le Chatelier principle removes any question of
amino acids being underwater where ultraviolet rays could not
reach them. In light of these facts, scientists rapidly began to

doubt the hypothesis that proteinoid molecules could represent
the beginning of life.
We have answered the unscientific allegations made up
until now. As a final note, let’s see the very special systems re-
cently uncovered that showed how even the amino acids, the

building blocks of proteins, must be kept to prevent their de-
struction: