Question

Passage 1 suggests that many scientists believe that modern life descends from an "RNA world" because

• A. RNA can perform some of the functions needed to sustain a living organism.
• B. RNA organisms would have been uniquely suited to the conditions of the Hadean eon
• C. RNA molecules were produced in Stanley Millers experiments.
• D. RNA is more stable than other nucleic acids.

Answer 1

The correct option is A RNA can perform some of the functions needed to sustain a living organism.

Many scientists speculate that the DNA and RNA molecules, once synthesized in the early Earth's oceans, could have become organized into self-replicating structures that developed into life as is known in the present. For example, "nucleic acids might have replicated themselves, and even created proteins from amino acids, like modern life forms do". In other words, RNA can perform some of the functions performed within a living organism. Hence, the belief that that modern life descends from an "RNA world" and Option A is correct. The rest of the options are neither mentioned nor implied in the passage, hence, incorrect.