4 ms·
It could also be that other forms of life produce both forms, but selectively use one.
by pocksuppet 4mo ago
It could also be that other forms of life produce both forms, but selectively use one.
- IAmBroom 4mo agoWouldn't that require a constant filter, to ensure that L-processes never use R-amino compounds? Seems almost like a Maxwell's Demon would be required in every cell...
- pocksuppet 4mo agoThey just can't use those compounds. Many medications have L and R forms of which only one is active. Right-methamphetamine is, well, methamphetamine, but left-methamphetamine is a nasal decongestant. Which is to say that the unwanted variation of a compound can be harmless. Just about every molecule in every cell is already a maxwell's demon. They only fit together in specific ways.