Question

What was the universal belief about enzyme catalysis before 1982?

Options

• Only nucleic acids could function as enzymes

• Both RNA and proteins could function as enzymes

• Only proteins could function as enzymes

• Only DNA could function as enzymes

Answer 1

Before Thomas Cech's 1982 discovery of self-catalytic RNA in Tetrahymena thermophila, it was universally believed that only proteins could function as enzymes. The discovery of ribozymes revolutionized this understanding and provided crucial support for the RNA World Hypothesis.