Word
abiogenesis
Phoneticsabio·gen·e·sis
Definition
n. the scientific study of how life first started on Earth from simple chemicals. It looks at how non-living matter might have turned into the first living cells.
n. the natural process by which life arises from non-living matter, such as simple organic compounds. It is a central topic in evolutionary biology and the study of the origins of life.
Examples
“Scientists are still researching the exact process of abiogenesis.”
“The Miller-Urey experiment provided early evidence for abiogenesis by showing how amino acids could form in a simulated early atmosphere.”
“While the mechanisms of abiogenesis remain a subject of intense debate, most modern theories suggest that life began in hydrothermal vents where chemical gradients and mineral surfaces facilitated the formation of complex molecules.”
Examples
simple
“Scientists are still researching the exact process of abiogenesis.”
contextual
“The Miller-Urey experiment provided early evidence for abiogenesis by showing how amino acids could form in a simulated early atmosphere.”
complex
“While the mechanisms of abiogenesis remain a subject of intense debate, most modern theories suggest that life began in hydrothermal vents where chemical gradients and mineral surfaces facilitated the formation of complex molecules.”
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-, “not-”, the alpha privative) + βῐ́ος (bĭ́os, “life”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʷeyh₃- (“to live”)) + γένεσις (génesis, “origin, source; manner of birth; creation”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵénh₁tis (“birth; production”)); equivalent to abio- + genesis. The words biogenesis and abiogenesis were both coined by English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895) in 1870 (see the quotation).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/abiogenesis