Life and the concepts of its origin are one of the greatest mysteries of science. Different schools of thought have forwarded various theories and experimental proof. Although these theories do provide us with new insights without empirical data, some of these theories have been rejected. However, there is no concrete theory that could provide a wholesome view.
Among the theories that have been suggested over the years are:
- Theory of Special Creation
- Theory of Spontaneous Generation
- Theory of Biogenesis
- Theory of Biochemical Evolution
- Theory of Panspermia
- Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent Theory
Different religions have different narratives as far as the theories are concerned. The three connotations of the theory of special creation are:
- All living organisms were created as such.
- The diversity has remained the same since the creation
- The earth is around 4.5 billion years old.
Philosophers like Aristotle, Epicurus, and Vel Holmont on the other hand vouch for the Theory of spontaneous generation, a scientific theory, that states that living forms originated spontaneously from non-living or inanimate objects. Whereas the Theory of Biogenesis is based on the idea that life can only come from life, it purely focuses on molecular genetics and the theory of biology. The theory of Biochemical Evolution or ‘Materialistic theory’ states that primitive earth was reducing in nature due to the absence of oxygen and several chemicals condensed together in oceans, warmed by hot temperature, formed a ‘primordial soup’ in which the first living cell took its form. It proclaims that life arises through a series of organic chemical reactions producing even complex biochemical structures. The Panspermia theory argues that life originated in space and got distributed to the planets by comets and meteorites. On the other hand, the deep sea hydrothermal vent theory suggests that life originated in the oceans. Due to the presence of hydrothermal vents, it released alkaline fluids which supplied energy needed to build complex organic molecules for life to form.
To conclude, different theories give us numerous insights and possibilities. With advancements in science and research, there are possibilities of gathering more pieces of data in this regard.
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Abhigya Shrestha
AS-Level
Batch 2022-24