abiogenesis

American  

[ey-bahy-oh-jen-uh-sis, ab-ee-oh-] / ˌeɪ baɪ oʊˈdʒɛn ə sɪs, ˌæb i oʊ- /

noun

Biology.

1. the theory that the earliest life forms on earth developed from nonliving matter.

2. Also called spontaneous generation.  the now discredited theory that living organisms can arise spontaneously from inanimate matter.

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abiogenesis British  

/ ˌeɪbaɪəʊˈdʒɛnɪsɪs, ˌeɪbaɪˈɒdʒɪnɪst /

noun

1. Also called: autogenesis.  the hypothetical process by which living organisms first arose on earth from nonliving matter

2. another name for spontaneous generation Compare biogenesis

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abiogenesis Scientific  

/ ā′bī-ō-jĕn′ĭ-sĭs /

1. See spontaneous generation

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Other Word Forms

• abiogenetic adjective
• abiogenetical adjective
• abiogenetically adverb
• abiogenist noun

Etymology

Origin of abiogenesis

a- ⁶ + biogenesis; coined by T. H. Huxley in 1870

Compare meaning

How does abiogenesis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• biogenesis vs. abiogenesis

Explanation

Abiogenesis is the scientific hypothesis that life on Earth may have originated from non-living matter. The concept of abiogenesis suggests that the first living organisms arose when simple molecules, including water, combined to form simple organic compounds, such as amino acids, through a gradual process of increasing complexity. There are different ideas about what environments may have supported this process. One theory is that it occurred in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Another is that it may have occurred in icy or frozen regions of early Earth. The word abiogenesis is built from Greek roots: a-, meaning "not," bio-, meaning "life," and genesis, meaning "origin."

Example Sentences

On the surface, the idea of abiogenesis does seem illogical, and the timescales — millions and billions of years — are barely comprehendible to the human mind.

From Salon • Oct. 7, 2022

Researchers at Purdue University's chemistry department have reported a recent breakthrough that lends even more evidence to abiogenesis.

From Salon • Oct. 7, 2022

When the solution was analyzed, it was discovered to contain many of the specific amino acids necessary for life, giving weight to the abiogenesis theory.

From Salon • Oct. 7, 2022

These scientific priorities could be to do with the details of abiogenesis - the transitiion from non-living to 'living' chemical systems and the role of polymers like RNA.

From Scientific American • Aug. 7, 2015

It is argued that a belief in abiogenesis is a necessary corollary from the doctrine of Evolution. 

From Selections from Previous Works and Remarks on Romanes' Mental Evolution in Animals by Butler, Samuel