Parity violation and the evolution of biomolecular homochirality

• Published in: Chirality (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 114 - 126
• Main Author: Bonner, William A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 2000
• Subjects: biomolecular homochirality; Crystallization; Electrons; parity violating energy differences; parity violation; Protons; spontaneous resolution under racemizing conditions; Stereoisomerism; Vester-Ulbricht hypothesis; β-radiolysis
• ISSN: 0899-0042; 1520-636X
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-636X(2000)12:3<114::AID-CHIR3>3.0.CO;2-N

Parity violation at the level of terrestrial biopolymers, as seen in proteins, DNAs, and RNAs, and parity violation at the level of nuclear processes, as evident in longitudinally polarized β‐particles and parity‐violating energy differences (PVEDs), are discussed and their fundamental importances are emphasized. Attempts to find a causal connection between the unique homochirality of biopolymers and parity violation at the nuclear level, and speculations that the former is a consequence of the latter, are reviewed. Consideration of all lines of evidence leads to the conclusion that there is no substantiation for such a causal connection, and that the two levels of parity violation are entirely independent of each other. Chirality 12:114–126, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.