1. Evolutionary Significance: The discovery of ribozymes provided strong evidence for the RNA world hypothesis, which suggests that early life forms may have relied solely on RNA for both genetic information storage and catalytic functions. 2. Biochemical Reactions: Ribozymes play essential roles in various biochemical processes, including RNA processing, translation, and gene regulation. 3. Biotechnological Applications: Ribozymes have potential therapeutic applications, particularly in gene therapy, where they can be designed to target and cleave specific RNA sequences, thereby regulating gene expression.
