Origin of Life

The theory of spontaneous

generation
Also called abiogenesis
Idea that living things can arise
from nonliving matter
Idea lasted almost 2000 years
Conclusions based on untested
observations
 Example #1
Observation: Every year in the
spring, the Nile River flooded areas
of Egypt along the river, leaving
behind nutrient-rich mud that
enabled the people to grow that
year’s crop of food. However, along
with the muddy soil, large numbers
of frogs appeared that weren’t
around in drier times
Conclusion: It was perfectly
obvious to people back then
that muddy soil gave rise to
the frogs
Mice came from the moldy
grain.
 Sewage and garbage turned
into the rats.
 Francesco Redi (1668)
In 1668, Francesco Redi, an
Italian physician, did an
experiment with flies and wide-
mouth jars containing meat
 Redi’s Experiment
Redi used open & closed
flasks which contained meat.
 His hypothesis was that
rotten meat does not turn into
flies.
 He observed these flasks to
see in which one(s) maggots
would develop.
He found that if a flask was
closed with a lid so adult flies
could not get in, no maggots
developed on the rotting meat
within.
 In a flask without a lid,
maggots soon were seen in the
meat because adult flies had laid
eggs and more adult flies soon
appeared.
Evidence against spontaneous generation:
1. Unsealed – maggots on meat
2. Sealed – no maggots on meat
3. Gauze – few maggots on gauze, none on meat
Results of Redi’s Experiments
The results of this
experiment disproved the idea
of spontaneous generation for
larger organisms, but people
still thought microscopic
organisms like algae or
bacteria could arise that way.
Francesco Redi
 John Needham (1745)
Showed that microorganisms
flourished in various soups that
had been exposed to the air
Claimed that there was a “life
force” present in the molecules of
all inorganic matter, including air
and the oxygen in it, that could
cause spontaneous generation to
occur
 Needham’s Results
Needham’s experiments
seemed to support the idea
of spontaneous generation
People didn’t realize bacteria
were already present in
Needham’s soups
Needham didn’t boil long
enough to kill the microbes
Needham’s Experiment
Lazzaro Spallanzani’s (1765)
Boiled soups for almost an hour
and sealed containers by melting
the slender necks closed.
The soups remained clear.
Later, he broke the seals & the
soups became cloudy with
microbes.
 Conclusion
Critics said sealed vials did
not allow enough air for
organisms to survive and that
prolonged heating destroyed
“life force”
Therefore, spontaneous
generation remained the
theory of the time
 How Do Microbes Arise?
By 1860, the debate had become so heated
that the Paris Academy of Sciences offered a
prize for any experiments that would help
resolve this conflict
The prize was claimed in 1864 by Louis
Pasteur, as he published the results of an
experiment he did to disproved spontaneous
generation in microscopic organisms
 Pasteur's Problem
Hypothesis: Microbes come
from cells of organisms on dust
particles in the air; not the air
itself.
Pasteur put broth into several
special S-shaped flasks
Each flask was boiled and placed
at various locations
Pasteur's Experiment - Step 1
S-shaped Flask
Filled with broth
The special shaped was
intended to trap any
dust particles containing
bacteria
Pasteur's Experiment - Step 2
 Flasks boiled
 Microbes Killed
Pasteur's Experiment - Step 3
Flask left at various
locations
 Did not turn cloudy
Microbes not found
Notice the dust that
collected in the neck
of the flask
Pasteur's Experimental Results
 The Theory of Biogenesis
Pasteur’s S-shaped flask kept microbes out but
let air in.
Proved microbes only come from other microbes
(life from life) - biogenesis

Figure 1.3
 Current Thinking about Origin of Life
Extra-terrestrial origin: Arrhenius
Panspermia
Did not explain how life originated.

Chemical evolution: life originated from natural chemical

processes which can be observed and evaluated
experimentally.
Inorganic matter->organic matter-> living forms
Role of meteorites
Origin of life on Earth
Proper temp for water in liquid state.
Earlier Earth lacked oxygen: necessary for
generation of organic molecules.
High atmospheric temperature of early Earth.
The “Big Bang” and Origin of Earth
Universe began as a very dense mass of matter.
Exploded in a big bang about 13 billion years ago.
Original Universe consisted of atoms of H and He.
Gravitation led to formation of stars and solar system
Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago: Hadean Eon
(Hellish!!!)
Reducing Environment: no Oxygen was present
initially.
Cooling led to condensation.
Steps needed to produce life from
inorganic molecules
Organic molecules must be formed from inorganic
molecules
Simple organic molecules must combine to form
large organic molecules.
A molecule must serve as genetic material.
Some molecules must act as enzymes.
Genetic material must be self replicating.
All molecules should me enclosed in a membrane.
Source of energy to survive.
Formation of first organic molecule
The Oparin-Haldane theory
1920s:  J.B.S. Haldane and Aleksandr
Oparin independently set forth ideas concerning the
conditions required for the origin of life on Earth.
Organic molecules could be formed from abiogenic
materials in the presence of an external energy source
(e.g., ultraviolet radiation) and primitive atmosphere
was reducing (having very low amounts of
free oxygen) and contained ammonia and water
vapour, among other gases.
First life-forms appeared in the warm, primitive
ocean and were heterotrophic.
Physico-chemical changes
Chemical evolution
A) Formation of inorganic molecules and compounds
B) Formation of simple organic compounds
Biological evolution
A) origin of aggregates of complex organic molecules
capable of growth and division (Coacervates: Large
colloidal aggregates in ocean)
B) Protobionts and Eubionts (Protocells)
C) Prokaryotes
D) Eukaryotes
REDUCING ATMOSPHERE
A/o oxygen allowed these organic molecules to
remain and combine with each other.

In present environment the organic molecules are

either consumed by organisms or oxidized into
simpler inorganic molecules.
Urey-Miller Experiment
1953 American chemists Harold C. Urey and Stanley
Miller tested the Oparin-Haldane theory .
Successfully produced organic molecules from some of the
inorganic components thought to have been present on
prebiotic Earth.
Combined warm water with a mixture of four gases—water
vapour, methane, ammonia, and molecular hydrogen—and
pulsed the “atmosphere” with electrical discharges.
The different components were meant to simulate the primitive
ocean, the prebiotic atmosphere, and heat (in the form
of lightning), respectively.
One week later Miller and Urey found that simple organic
molecules, including amino acids (the building blocks
of proteins), had formed under the simulated conditions of
early Earth.
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/9834092339/st
udent_view0/chapter26/animation_-_miller-urey_exp
eriment.html
Formation of Macromolecules
Dehydration synthesis: evaporation led to
concentration.
Freezing as a means of concentration
Role of electrically charged clay particles that attract
and concentrate molecules.
Origin of Genetic Material
RNA could have been the first genetic material

Evidence
Can make copies of itself
Can act as enzyme
Much simpler than DNA
Mutates quickly
First Life forms
Prebionts: Non living structures that led to first living
cells.
Formed of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and Nucleic
acids.
Interacted to form Coacervates: Structure that could
have consisted of a collection of organic molecules
surrounded by a film of water molecules (barrier).
Microsphere: early prebiotic cell structure
A non living collection of organic molecules with a
double layered boundary
Formed from proteinoids.
Donot contain lipids in membrane but they exhibit
membrane like characters eg. Response to osmotic
potential, streaming, can use ATP to form NAs and
Polypeptides.
Absorb materials from surroundings and form buds
Membrane could form with lipids
interacting with water.

Separation of organic molecules from

primordial soup led to protocells
Towards Complexity
Additional steps required:
Proteins must become catalysts of cells
Control of protein synthesis must be taken over by
RNA
DNA must replace RNA as genetic material
First cellular units must be able to reproduce
Must have away to obtain energy.
Quiz
First living organisms could have been???
Heterotrophs
Autotrophs
Major Evolutionary changes
Development of oxidizing atmosphere
Establishment of three domains of life
Origin of Eukaryotic cell: Endosymbiotic theory