[JamesJayson]

I'm not certain if this is the best forum for this topic so please forgive me.

Natural Selection applies to animate matter (life), but does it:

a. Apply to inanimate chemicals as well?
b. If so is it just a hypothesis that needs to be worked out or is there actually a scientific theory that incorporates it.

Please elaborate, thanks!

[vex]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiogenesis

This is a good summary of a lot of things to get your thinking going. So-called "chemical evolution" is reminiscent of natural selection if you squint a little bit, i.e. molecules that can self-replicate become more common.

[rickythomas]

If you talk about abiogenesis then consider the fact of living beings and chemicals, it is not possible for scientists to find that kind of experiment where we can proof the origin of chemicals, there are many suitable theories given by scientists but are not sufficient to solve such mystery, the only thing we do is; accept the theory that is not contradicted by any other scientist.

[SDM89]

You might find these links interesting:

http://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/cronin//research.php?theme=Inorganic%20Biology%20and%20Evolvable%20Systems

http://www.ted.com/talks/lee_cronin_making_matter_come_alive.html

[fledarmus]

Actually, I've always thought that Natural Selection was very similar to the principles involved in chemical equilibria. If you increase the amount of a starting material, then you are increasing the amount of resources needed to form the product, and more of the product forms. If you increase the amount of energy available to a system, then thermodynamic products are more likely to predominate. If you run a reaction with a mixture of primary and secondary starting materials in conditions which favor the reaction of the primary starting materials, then more of the product will be that formed from the primary starting materials, while if you have enough of the other starting materials for both to react fully, then you will see a more equal mixture of products. The same for natural selection - if you increase the availability of a resource, you increase the population of a species and increase the diversity of the species because there is less selective pressure. If you reduce the availability of a resource, the individuals that are most efficient at utilizing the resource will predominate in future generations.

[ajkoer]

As there are animals that have the ability to change their skin color to match their environment, there is natural selection in the chemistry of these organic based pigments. My understanding of the process: the sun's radiation introduces random changes in DNA that leads to a new organic based pigment's color. Those changes that provide a natural advantage (like better blending in), foster the "survival of the fittest".

Now with respect to inorganic matter, newly introduced changes in local temperature (or pressure or pH or hydration) may result in the creation of a new compound from previously unreacted substances. If the conditions favor the stability of this new compound, the compound becomes more common.

[ajkoer]

Here is an excellent discussion on this topic (see http://www.tutorvista.com/content/biology/biology-iii/origin-life/origin-life-steps.php  ).

For more and charts see the link provided above.

Edit by Borek: you have copied almost whole page, you should not to not violate copyrights. Short excerpts are OK.

[ajkoer]

.
Now with respect to inorganic matter, newly introduced changes in local temperature (or pressure or pH or hydration) may result in the creation of a new compound from previously unreacted substances. If the conditions favor the stability of this new compound, the compound becomes more common.

An important chemical concept here is Le Chatalier principle, the system would cause the equilibrium to shift in such a way that it partially removes the disturbance in the system, therefore it causes the increase or decrease in the chemical concentration depending on the side of the equation favored including an enthalpy factor consideration. Translation, the cooling of the earth is a change in temperature that could favor more exothermic reactions. Formation of an atmosphere is a change in pressure. Addition/removal of volcanic produced acidic SO2 causes local changes in pH.  Creation of the oceans is an obvious hydration permitting the development of more complex molecules and life itself.