- Aug 8, 2012
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Thoughts on Abiogenesis
Abiogenesis is the process whereby life first came into existence from non-life. Along with the beginning of the Universe (aka The Big Bang) and evolution, it’s one of the three processes which make up the scientific version of what fundamentalist Christians refer to as ‘Origins’.
While evolution and the Big Bang are considered to be well-established scientific Theories, abiogenesis still has the status of a Hypothesis since science has yet to flesh out the detail of how it occurred.
One of the problems with accepting abiogenesis is its’ counter intuitive nature.
I would argue that not only is abiogenesis a reality, it’s something which we see around us, in a different form, every day.
Think of a seed from a tree, preferably a big tree. When that seed comes in contact with water and the right soil minerals it sprouts and begins to grow. In order to grow it takes in sunlight, carbon dioxide, water and soil minerals and chemically converts them to tree stuff. As the tree grows the tree’s cells continue the process until, eventually the tree may be millions of times more massive than the original seed.
The sunlight, water, CO2 and minerals used by the tree to build itself are all forms of non-life. Through a natural process, non-life (sunlight, water, minerals, CO2) has been converted to a life form (the tree). Even the original seed is itself constructed, by its parent tree, from non-living materials.
While science cannot (yet) duplicate the process of tree growth it’s well understood and we have yet to find any part of the process which can’t be understood through physics or organic chemistry or other related sciences.
If a tree, or any other living thing, is built from natural processes acting on non-living materials, then it’s entirely feasible for the first form(s) of life to have originated from natural processes acting on non-living materials. The initial materials may differ, as will the process, but the event need only occur once to kick start life and the lifeform need not be anywhere near as complex as a tree.
Abiogenesis is not just the process where life first came into existence. The creation of life from non-life appears to be a normal part of everyday living.
OB
Abiogenesis is the process whereby life first came into existence from non-life. Along with the beginning of the Universe (aka The Big Bang) and evolution, it’s one of the three processes which make up the scientific version of what fundamentalist Christians refer to as ‘Origins’.
While evolution and the Big Bang are considered to be well-established scientific Theories, abiogenesis still has the status of a Hypothesis since science has yet to flesh out the detail of how it occurred.
One of the problems with accepting abiogenesis is its’ counter intuitive nature.
How could life have come from non-life?
I would argue that not only is abiogenesis a reality, it’s something which we see around us, in a different form, every day.
Think of a seed from a tree, preferably a big tree. When that seed comes in contact with water and the right soil minerals it sprouts and begins to grow. In order to grow it takes in sunlight, carbon dioxide, water and soil minerals and chemically converts them to tree stuff. As the tree grows the tree’s cells continue the process until, eventually the tree may be millions of times more massive than the original seed.
The sunlight, water, CO2 and minerals used by the tree to build itself are all forms of non-life. Through a natural process, non-life (sunlight, water, minerals, CO2) has been converted to a life form (the tree). Even the original seed is itself constructed, by its parent tree, from non-living materials.
While science cannot (yet) duplicate the process of tree growth it’s well understood and we have yet to find any part of the process which can’t be understood through physics or organic chemistry or other related sciences.
If a tree, or any other living thing, is built from natural processes acting on non-living materials, then it’s entirely feasible for the first form(s) of life to have originated from natural processes acting on non-living materials. The initial materials may differ, as will the process, but the event need only occur once to kick start life and the lifeform need not be anywhere near as complex as a tree.
Abiogenesis is not just the process where life first came into existence. The creation of life from non-life appears to be a normal part of everyday living.
OB
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