Sedimentines

Sedimentines are a hypothetical class of organic compounds that have been proposed as potential building blocks for life. The concept of sedimentines emerged from the idea that early Earth's environment, particularly its sedimentary rocks, might have provided a suitable medium for the formation and preservation of complex organic molecules. These molecules, if they existed and possessed certain properties, could have acted as precursors to more sophisticated biochemical structures.

The theory suggests that sedimentary environments, with their varying chemical conditions and mineral surfaces, could have facilitated polymerization reactions, leading to the formation of long chains of organic matter. These chains, termed sedimentines, would have been protected from degradation by being incorporated into the sediment matrix. Over geological timescales, these sedimentines could have undergone further transformations, potentially evolving towards self-replicating systems or primitive metabolic pathways.

While the existence of sedimentines remains speculative, the concept highlights the importance of geological processes in prebiotic chemistry. It emphasizes that the origin of life might not have solely occurred in dilute aqueous solutions but could have involved heterogeneous environments like mineral surfaces within sediments. Research in this area continues to explore the potential of mineral-organic interactions in the development of early life.