Clay may have played a crucial roal in the origin of life

A number of investigators think the adsorptive properties of certain clays may have played a crucial role in the origin of life. The hypothesis arises as a result of the effort to simulate the conditions under which amino acids may form proteins within the human body. Experiments showed simple amino acids formed into the longer chains called peptides on the surface of clay particles. It is thought that clay acts as a catalyst for the formation of long peptide chains, or proteins.

(from Perry A~ Arledge, author of Living Clay, Nature's Own Miracle Cure)