Can someone explain (for those of us unfamiliar) abiogenesis?
Not all scientific types are mean. Abiogenesis is the idea that life arose from non-living material, specifically molecules like ammonia, methane, water etc. Back in the 50’s an undergraduate student named Stanley Miller was studying this and composed an experiment where the molecules that scientists theorised were present at the time of the first life form, were placed in a flask and an electric current was passed through this liquid (to replicate the lightning storms that are thought to have been common around this time). This resulted in amino acids being found in the liquid when the experiment was concluded. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. The constituents for nucleic acids (found in DNA) were also present. It’s possible life on Earth arose from such humble beginnings.
abiogenesis Definition abio·gen·esis (ā′bī′ō jen′ə sis, ab′ē ō-) noun spontaneous generation Etymology: ModL < Gr abios, lifeless (< a-, not + bios, life: see bio-) + -genesis Related Forms: * abiogenetic a′bi′o·genet′·ic adjective * abiogenetically a′bi′o·genet′i·cally adverb abiogenesis Usage Examples Converse of object * disprove: None of the people who did crucial experiments on spontaneous generation disproved abiogenesis.
