Can someone define abiogenesis for me?

Answer 1

Abiogenesis means literally, the development of life (genesis) from non-living (abiotic) things. In the case of evolution those non-living things are atoms and molecules.

The theory (see the defenition of "theory" below) states that atoms combined to form complex molecules, which then combined further to form more and more complex molecules, and eventually amino acids, often called "the building blocks of life."

These molecules eventually became even more complex, and began to split and self-replicate due to their natural, physical properties. They continued, then, to become more and more complex, and combining together, forming proto-plasmic cells.

Those cells in turn combined together ("worked" together, you might say) to create multi-celled organisms. Those organisms continued to become more complex and, through mutations and adaptations, evolved and grew. And over billions of years they evolved into complex life forms, including humans.

Of course, most of those molecules, cells, even complex life forms, could not succeed in the environment in which they were created, and were destroyed, or died off. Only those fit to survive in a given environment survived, and among them, only those most suited to the environment survived. Hence, "survival of the fittest."

Hope that helps.

P.S.: A "theory" in science does not mean a guess like it sometimes does in the vernacular. It means a scientific explanation of observed phenomenon or evidence. A theory is always subject to change as new evidence is discovered or new knowledge is gained. This is why the "theory of evolution" is different today than it was in Darwin's time.

Those who don't understand science use those changes in the theory as evidence that it is not correct. That is false logic, however, because those changes are simply refinements, not refutations of the theory itself.

One major difference between science and religion is that science KNOWS it doesn't have all the answers, challenges itself, and changes as new answers are learned, whereas religion already has all the answers and does not allow questioning of its dogmas (that's called heresy and has historically even been punishable by torture and death).

When you hear someone say that the theory of evolution has changed, or that parts of it have been disproven, and therefore the theory is false, they are simply demonstrating their own lack of knowledge and understanding of science itself.

Answer 2

*Abiogenesis (Greek a-bio-genesis, "non biological origins") is, in its most general sense, the generation of life from non-living matter. Today the term is primarily used to refer to hypotheses about the chemical origin of life, such as from a primordial sea or in the vicinity of hydrothermal vents, and most probably through a number of intermediate steps, such as non-living but self-replicating molecules (biopoiesis). Abiogenesis remains a hypothesis, meaning it is the working assumption for scientists researching how life began. If it were proven false, then another line of thought would be used to modify or replace abiogenesis as a hypothesis. If test results provide sufficient support for acceptance, then that is the point at which it would become a theory.

Answer 3

Abiogenesis is, in its most general sense, the generation of life from non-living matter. Today the term is primarily used to refer to hypotheses about the chemical origin of life, such as from a primordial sea or in the vicinity of hydrothermal vents, and most probably through a number of intermediate steps, such as non-living but self-replicating molecules (biopoiesis). Abiogenesis remains a hypothesis, meaning it is the working assumption for scientists researching how life began. If it were proven false, then another line of thought would be used to modify or replace abiogenesis as a hypothesis. If test results provide sufficient support for acceptance, then that is the point at which it would become a theory.

Answer 4

Abiogenesis is the proposal that life emerged from non-life. It can be viewed as a special form of spontaneous generation (see "The Origin of Life: Philosophical Perspectives," published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology, 1997, by Michael Ruse). Instead of life arising from non-life on a regular and observable basis, abiogenesis proposes life arising from non-life at some particular point in the ancient, unobservable past. But abiogenesis differs from spontaneous generation in another important way.

Answer 5

The dictionary says:

life from inanimate matter: the hypothesis that life can come into being from non-living materials. Also called spontaneous generation
Also called autogenesis

Answer 6

In short, it is the science of how life transitioned from nonlife. It draws from astronomy, physical chemistry, oceanography, geology, and climatology.

Answer 7

The generation of life from nonliving matter.

Answer 8

wikipedia has a good explanation, I just finished reading it

Answer 9

something from nothing. more specifically, life from non-life.

Answer 10

a=not
bio=life
genesis=begining