SIMPLE IDEA OF CHEMICAL EVOLUTI

SUBMITTED BY:
BUSHRA ISLAM
CLASS 11 (SCIENCE)
ROLL NO: 13
 INTRODUCTION
• Chemical Evolution refers to the formation of complex
organic molecules from simpler inorganic compounds
through chemical reactions in the early stages of Earth’s
history..
It is considered the first step toward the origin of life,
leading to the development of self-replicating
molecules and eventually living cells.

This theory provides a scientific explanation for how

life may have started without any biological precursor,
purely through natural processes.

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 WHAT IS CHEMICAL EVOLUTION?

• Chemical evolution is the gradual formation of complex

chemical compounds from simpler substances on the
primitive Earth.
• It involves:
• Formation of organic molecules like amino acids, sugars,
and nucleotides.
• Assembly of these molecules into macromolecules such
as proteins and nucleic acids.
• It is a pre-biological process, meaning it occurred before
life existed.
• This concept bridges the gap between non-living
chemistry and the emergence of life.
THE ORIGIN OF LIFE – SCIENTIFIC VIEWS
•Life is believed to have originated around 3.5 to 4 billion years
ago on the primitive Earth.
•Scientists believe that life did not appear suddenly, but gradually
evolved from non-living molecules.
•Key stages in this process:
•Formation of simple inorganic molecules
•Conversion into organic compounds
•Development of self-replicating systems
•This progression is called the chemical evolution of life.

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THE MILLER-UREY
EXPERIMENT
•In 1953, scientists Stanley Miller
and Harold Urey conducted a
famous experiment to test Oparin
and Haldane’s theory.
•They recreated the conditions of
early Earth in a laboratory setup:
•Gases: Methane (CH₄), Ammonia
(NH₃), Hydrogen (H₂), Water
Vapour
• (H₂O)
•Energy source: Electric sparks to
simulate lightning
•After a week, they found amino
acids had formed — the building
blocks of life.
•This experiment strongly
supported the chemical origin of
life theory.
THE PRIMORDIAL SOUP THEORY

Proposed by Oparin and Haldane, Energy from UV radiation, lightning,

this theory suggests: and volcanic activity triggered
complex reactions.
Early Earth’s oceans were rich in
organic molecules formed by Over time, these organic molecules
chemical reactions. accumulated and interacted,
eventually giving rise to life.
This mixture is referred to as a
“primordial soup.” The ocean acted as a natural
laboratory for chemical evolution.

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TRANSITION FROM
CHEMICAL TO
BIOLOGICAL
EVOLUTION
Once photocells formed:
Self-replication and
mutation began
Led to natural selection
at the molecular level
This marked the shift
from chemical evolution
to biological evolution.
 RNA WORLD HYPOTHESIS

This hypothesis suggests that RNA was the first

self-replicating molecule before DNA and
proteins.
RNA can:
Store genetic information (like DNA)
Catalyze reactions (like enzymes)
Early Earth conditions may have led to the
spontaneous formation of short RNA chains.
These molecules could have formed simple
protocells, paving the way for life.
RNA World theory helps explain the transition
from chemistry to biology.

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FORMATION OF ORGANIC
MOLECULES

In the early Earth’s atmosphere, simple gases like

methane, ammonia, hydrogen, and water vapor were
abundant.
Under the influence of energy sources (UV rays,
lightning), these gases formed:
Amino acids
Sugars
Fatty acids
Nitrogenous bases
These organic molecules are the basic building
blocks of life.

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ROLE OF ATMOSPHERE IN
CHEMICAL EVOLUTION

• The early Earth’s atmosphere was

reducing (rich in hydrogen, lacking
oxygen).
• A reducing environment is essential for:
• Synthesis of organic molecules
• Preventing oxidation of formed
compounds
• This atmosphere enabled the formation
and preservation of prebiotic
molecules.
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 MODERN CELL STRUCTURE
AND EVOLUTION

• Over time, complex cells evolved:

• Prokaryotic cells (simple, like
bacteria)
• Later, eukaryotic cells (complex,
with nucleus)
• Life diversified through genetic
variation and evolution over
billions of years.

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IMPORTANCE OF WATER IN EARLY EARTH

• Water bodies (oceans, ponds) played a

major role:
• Acted as a medium for chemical
reactions
• Provided thermal stability
• Supported accumulation of organic
molecules
• Evaporation-condensation cycles
helped in concentrating compounds.

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 EVIDENCE SUPPORTING CHEMICAL EVOLUTION

Fossils of ancient microbes (~3.5

billion years old)
Miller-Urey experiment findings
Meteorites containing amino acids
Lab synthesis of RNA-like molecules
under early Earth conditions

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RELEVANCE IN TODAY’S SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH

• Chemical evolution is the foundation of modern origin-of-life

research.
• 🔬 Important in fields like:
• Molecular biology
• Biochemistry
• Astrobiology
• Synthetic biology
• 🌍 Understanding how life starts helps in:
•Creating artificial life
•Designing bio-inspired machines
•Studying diseases at the cellular level
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APPLICATIONS IN ASTROBIOLOGY

• 🌌 Used by NASA and ESA to explore if life 🧫 Simulations of early Earth

could start on planets like: guide:
• Mars Search for biosignatures
• Europa (moon of Jupiter)
Lab experiments mimicking
• Titan (moon of Saturn) alien environments
• 🔭 Helps define the conditions required for life
on exoplanets. 👽 Supports the idea that life
may exist elsewhere and
evolve chemically like on Earth.

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FORMATION OF PROTOCELLS

• Organic molecules eventually organized into microscopic bubbles or

protocells.
• Protocells had:
• A lipid membrane-like boundary
• An internal chemical environment
• They showed basic life-like properties, like:
• Molecular interaction
• Growth and division (non-living but structured)

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TRANSITION FROM CHEMICAL
TO BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION

Once protocells formed:

Self-replication and mutation
began
Led to natural selection at the
molecular level
This marked the shift from
chemical evolution to biological
evolution.
 CRITICISMS AND LIMITATIONS

• 🔹 Uncertainty of early Earth conditions:

• We cannot perfectly recreate the exact environment from billions of years ago.
• 🔹 Complexity of biomolecule formation:
• Experiments show basic molecules can form, but not full DNA, enzymes, or living
cells.
• 🔹 Alternative theories exist:
• Panspermia Theory: Life came from space via meteorites.
• Deep-sea hydrothermal vents: Some scientists suggest life began under oceans.
• 🔹 Time scale is debated:
• No exact timeline exists for the transition from non-living to living systems.

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CONCLUSION

• 🧬 Chemical evolution shows how life might have formed naturally on

Earth.
• 🔁 It connects non-living molecules to living systems — a vital link in
evolutionary biology.
• 📚 Though questions remain, it inspires:
• Continued research
• Interdisciplinary science
• New frontiers in space exploration
• 🧠 It’s a theory that bridges chemistry, biology, and astronomy
beautifully.
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REFERENCES

• (Well-formatted and credible)

• Miller, S. L. & Urey, H. C. (1953). Production of amino acids
under primitive Earth conditions.
• Oparin, A. I. (1924). The Origin of Life. Moscow: Moskovskii
Rabochii .
• Haldane, J. B. S. (1929). The Origin of Life. Rationalist Annual.
• NASA Astrobiology Institute. [Link]
• Alberts, B. et al. (2015). Molecular Biology of the Cell. Garland
Science.

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