Spontaneous Generation versus Biogenesis

Prevailing Theory questioning

scientist
Experiment
Description ( Brief)
findings Outcome of experiment
No theory (lots of
folk tales, myths,
and inferences)
J ean Baptiste
Van Helmont
& many others
try to be
careful
observers
He and many others have recipes
for how to create living things.
(horse to bees , shirts to mice, mud
to frogs etc)
Recipes seem to
work (if you are
NOT a careful
observer)

Sp. Gen. is maintained as the prevailing theory
(Life arises from non-life)
Spontaneous
generation
Redi His controlled experiment uses a
variable and control setup
Gauze covered
jars NO
maggots

Biogenesis (life arises only from other
organisms)
Biogenesis (until
new Discovery of
animalcules)
Anton Van
leeuwenhoek
Discovers tiny animalcules while
looking at pond water with his
microscope.
Are they special? Do they spontaneously arise? Spontaneous
Generation starts to arise again as a possible
theory to explain animalcules in water.

Biogenesis (but do
animalcules arise
spontaneously? )
Needham Heats a flask with Hay/pond water
mixture to Kill the contents and
lets it sit to cool and then covers it
with cork.

Cloudy growth
eventually shows
up in the flask.
Microorganisms seem to have spontaneously
arisen.
Spontaneous
generation of tiny
animalcules

Spallanzani Boils and seals the flask better than
Needham did
Nothing grows Vitalists complain no air to support life
Lg organism
biogenesis
Animalcules Sp.
Gen.

Pasteur Uses curve-necked flask to trap the
dust and allow air in/out
Vitalists are
satisfied
Spont. Gen loses all acceptance.
Biogenesis is currently the supported theory.
Q. If life only comes from pre-existing life by biogenesis, then where did the first life come from?
Scientists have generated many hypotheses, have been able to collect relatively little ancient evidence, and have formed few solid, well-tested
theories. Today, we can try to play the biological and geological clocks backwards and surmise what most likely happened to get us to where we
are today. Scientists, such as Stanley Miller and Harold Urey also simulate early Earth Atmospheric conditions to test the possibility of life arising
spontaneously. The key is understanding a past with a reducing atmosphere (without oxygen) compared to our oxidizing one now.