Another theory on the origin of life.

A Washington University geochemist has added fuel to the fire in one of the hottest science controversies today--the origin of life. Everett L. Shock, assistant professor of earth and planetary sciences, has done calculations that show thermophilic (heat-loving) microorganisms living in ultra-high temperatures may gain more energy metabolizing available nutrients than life forms that live in more temperate environments. The thermophilic bacteria, which thrive at temperatures of more than 220[degrees] F, are found in hot springs deep in the ocean. Metabolism is the chemical cellular process whereby energy is produced and released.

His findings lend credence to the theory that life on Earth started through chemosynthesis, the reaction of chemicals without sunlight, rather than photosynthesis, the reaction of chemicals with sunlight. While the photosynthetic theory has been the prevailing one for much of the century, Shock suggests that the first living organisms well may have formed without the benefit of the sun--beneath the Earth's surface, rather than on it.

"The hotter it is for these thermophilic microorganisms, the easier life is. To use a cost of living analogy, it's cheaper for these primitive organisms to live at higher temperatures than at lower temperatures. They don't have to expend as much energy to maintain life and reproduce in the hotter temperatures compared with what other organisms have to expend at cooler temperatures. So, if the living's easier, why not stay there?"

Shock's calculations are based on extrapolations of the free energy...