The abiotic synthesis of , such as amino acids and nitrogenous bases, may have occurred near volcanoes or around deep-sea vents. 2. the abiotic synthesis of may have occurred as organic monomers splashed onto hot rocks and spontaneously joined into chains. 3. the first may have formed when collections of organic molecules became isolated within membranes. 4. the first genetic material was probably self-replicating . 5. once some protocells contained self-replicating molecules, could have begun to shape their properties as those that reproduced more efficiently would have increased in number. 6. at some point,