Cyanide May Have Been a Primordial Soup to the Origin of Life on Earth: New Study

Life on Earth evolved around 4 billion years ago, back when the world was very different, characterized by a harsher environment without the presence of oxygen.

Starting with microscopic organisms, the earliest life forms thrived to become some of the most complex species on the planet.

The evolution of life was believed to be triggered by certain factors that are conducive to the formation and development of life. Some of these factors include life-supporting elements, such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and H20 or water.

However, a group of chemists discovered that cyanide, the infamous toxic chemical and deadly poison, could also be a primordial soup responsible for the origin of life on Earth.

In the groundbreaking study, scientists tried to understand how the toxic chemical, on the contrary, supported life instead of killing it.

Cyanide as We Know It

(Photo : Carlos Costa via Getty Images)

Cyanide, as a chemical compound, is naturally released from substances produced by plants and eukaryotic microorganisms, including algae, bacteria, and fungi.

It can be manufactured in the form of solid, liquid, or gas, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

One of the deadliest toxic chemicals, cyanide has been depicted by both the scientific community and pop culture as a lethal chemical that can be in various forms, including under the state of a colorless gas.

Cyanide is a fast-acting poison that has a high probability of killing a person or an animal.

It has been known for its lethality for more than 200 years; even France used this toxic chemical as a chemical warfare agent during World War I.

In addition, cyanide was also reportedly used during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, as per the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

In pop culture, cyanide has been popularized as a chemical agent in spy and action movies.

In the James Bond film "Skyfall," the physical-deteriorating effects of cyanide were shown affecting the movie's villain who became a victim of cyanide poisoning.

Also read: Cyanide Compounds Discovered in Meteorites May Hold Clues to the Origin of Life

Primordial Soup in the Origin of Life on Earth

Despite the hazards surrounding the toxic chemical, a team of chemists suggested cyanide may have also been in the primordial soup and supported the evolution of life on Earth around 4 billion years ago, as per a study published in the journal Nature Chemistry on Feb. 3.

According to the study's lead author, Ramanarayan Krishnamurthy, a chemist from Scripps Research Institute in California, USA, cyanide is toxic in the current stage of the evolutionary biology of our time.

However, Krishnamurthy explained the chemical may not be deadly if biology adapts to it.

The chemists were able to determine that cyanide might have contributed to the evolution of life when they mixed molecules found in the early phases of Earth and the molecules produced cyanide compounds from it.

The discovery from the study sheds light on the fact that we are still in the verge of exploring what really caused the evolution of life on Earth.

Related article: Starlight Origin of Building Blocks of Life