LESSON 3:

ORIGIN OF LIFE
Ace D. Rasco
The origin of life is one of the great mysteries in the
Universe.  To determine the origin of life, scientists
are investigating the problem in several different
ways. 

• Some scientists are studying life on our own planet.

• Some scientists are seeking out life or fossil life on

other planets or moons in our solar system. 

• And other scientists are trying to detect life in

other solar systems, either by measuring life's
effects on the atmospheres.
Theories on the Beginning of Life
Two major questions:

▫ How did Life Begin?

▫ Where did Life Begin?

How did Life Begin?
Three possible that have been either supported or
refuted by many scientist.

• Special Creation
• Panspermia
• Spontaneous Origin
Special Creation

• Life may have been placed on earth by

supernatural/ divine force.

•  It is a theological doctrine which states that the

universe and all life in it originated in its present
form by unconditional fiat or divine decree.
 Panspermia

• Panspermia is the hypothesis that life exists

throughout the Universe, distributed by space dust,
meteoroids, asteroids, comets, planetoids, and also
by spacecraft carrying unintended contamination
by microorganisms.
 Spontaneous Origin

• Spontaneous generation/origin is a body of thought

on the ordinary formation of living organisms
without descent from similar organisms.

• The theory of spontaneous generation held that

living creatures could arise from non-living matter
and that such processes were common place and
regular.
• This is the idea of spontaneous generation, an
obsolete theory that states that living organisms
can originate from inanimate objects.

• Other common examples of spontaneous

generation were that dust creates fleas, maggots
arise from rotting meat, and bread or wheat left
in a dark corner produces mice.
 Where did Life Begin?
Following places where life possibly began.

• PRIMITIVE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE

• FROZEN OCEANS
• UNDERNEATH EARTH’S CRUST
• CLAY ON EARTH’S CRUST
• VENTS ON DEEP SEA
PRIMITIVE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE
• The Earth’s primitive atmosphere is suggested to
be a mix of water, carbon monoxide, carbon
dioxide, nitrogen, ammonia and methane.

• This atmosphere marked the appearance of the

first seas and characterized by constant intense
lightning, volcanic activity and ultra violet
radiation.
FROZEN OCEANS

• Another hypothesis suggests that life originated

under a frozen ocean. Virtually any planet that
contains water can potentially hold life as it is the
perfect solvent that can allow biochemical
reactions occur.
UNDERNEATH EARTH’S CRUST
• Early Earth had extremely violent and harsh
conditions characterized by intense volcanic
activity. Life may have been formed as a product
of energy from intense volcanic activity with
metallic molecules such as iron and nickel
mineral’s acting as catalysts to fuse gases by
eruptions.
CLAY ON EARTH’S CRUST

• Life may have resulted from silicate surfaces.

Clays have positive charges to attract organic
molecules and excluded water; therefore it may
act as a catalytic surface to produce more
complex molecules.
VENTS ON DEEP SEA

• A popular hypothesis that life originated at deep-

sea vents. Genetic profiling revealed that
theoretical ancestors of prokaryotes are closest to
the profiles of bacteria that still thrive today in
deep-sea vents.