Living under pressure: Lessons from the cradle of life

Deep sea alkaline hydrothermal vents have been theorized to be a place where life could have originated. The elevated temperature, alkaline pH, and unique vent action concentrate minerals and create local energetic gradients that can promote primitive metabolic reactions. Although sometimes overlooked, the extreme hydrostatic pressures found in deep sea vents can also facilitate various kinds of molecular assembly that would not otherwise spontaneously occur at sea level.

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