Why are polysaccharides necessary?

The following hypotheses are the cardinal points of this paper. First, food systems and beverages containing denatured non-specifically interacting biopolymers could model the primordial soup. Second, polysaccharides were the first biopolymers. Third, the joint evolution of proto-biopolymers could start with their cross-linking. Fourth, cross-linked proto-biopolymers, i.e. conjugates, evolved into self-reproducible particles, the proto-cellular organelles. Fifth, the proto-cells resulted from phase separation of the primordial soup with concentration of conjugates in the dispersed particles accompanied by adsorption of lipid containing conjugates between aqueous phases. Sixth, the essential driving trend of life is to maintain homeostasis, i.e. to survive. Finally, polysaccharides are responsible for ecological contacts of living entities. i.e. for nutrition and non-specific universal immunity. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.