The Exosome: RNA Degradation and Evolution

Major Problems

When the cell makes a copy of a segment of DNA the result is called RNA. This long, thin molecule has many roles, including transmitting information, regulating the cell’s activities and helping molecular machines perform various tasks. But when its job is done, an RNA molecule must be broken apart. The job of destroying RNA is crucial for without it the cell’s RNA would rapidly build up and kill the cell. So cells are equipped with an intricate machine that chops up RNA molecules when they no longer are needed. This RNA degradation machine is called the exosome and it is comprised of ten finely-tuned proteins, nine of which form a cylinder through which the spent RNA is threaded. The tenth protein then chops up the RNA molecule. New research is now elucidating just how the exosome works, and the results pose yet more profound problems for evolution.

Different versions of the exosome are found across biology’s different types of life, but the exosome’s basic mechanisms for degrading RNA are conserved. For evolutionists this means that the exosome must have been present very early in evolutionary history, in the common ancestor of all life. This unlikely juxtaposition of high complexity in early life is a common theme in evolutionary thought. Repeatedly the patterns of life force evolutionists to suppose that evolution, somehow, struck upon profound designs early on.

Of course it makes sense that the exosome would be present from nearly the beginning, given its crucial role. But how could it have evolved? For instance, the mere presence of those different proteins is an immediate problem for evolution. After all, beyond speculation evolutionists cannot even explain how a single such protein could have evolved.

And even if those proteins could somehow have evolved, how would the cell know how to assemble them together to form the exosome?

And how would the exosome know where to position itself within the cell? And how would the cell know which RNA molecules to send its way?

But that’s not all. Not only does the exosome have incredible proteins, but it requires all of them in order to function. Remove any one of them and all you have is a useless hulk of molecules. As one researcher explained:

Cells lacking any of the ten proteins do not survive and this shows that not only the catalytic subunit but also the entire barrel is critical for the function of the exosome.

But how could evolution construct such a marvel which is useless until the final brick is in place? If the machine doesn’t work without all its parts, that means there is no gradual evolutionary path leading up to it.

To avoid this problem evolutionists must say that the different proteins each evolved for some other reasons. They did other jobs in the cell, and then once all were constructed, they happened to fit together to form the exosome.

But that story is unlikely for it would require a substantial dose of serendipity. Evolution would have gotten lucky yet once again.

The problem here is that once again evolutionists have set themselves against the science. Once again they put themselves in the position of having to demonstrate what clearly goes against the facts.

But it’s even worse yet. Not only do evolutionists go against the empirical grain, but they repeatedly insist that theirs is the only answer. Evolution, they cry, is the obvious and the only acceptable explanation. They contrive false histories of science, accuse others of abusing science, and blackball those who don’t go along.

As you can see this just doesn’t add up. I’m more than willing to consider evolution. But the science isn’t there while evolutionists misrepresent the facts, make undefendable truth claims, and mistreat people. This isn’t a pretty picture.