My swimming pool was crystal clear for weeks, but when I went out one morning to take a swim after an electrical storm, there was algae for the first time quite a sudden change in colour. Does this mean that lightning striking water can start life?
2007-01-21 01:54:38 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
I was told that electrical storms produce more nitrogen, probably altering the color of existing algae, or perhaps causing it to have a growth spurt....grass seems to be greener after a good rain than with regular irrigation. As for your question regarding whether lightning striking water can start life, my answer would be no. There is no "breath of life" in lightning (electricity) or water, and that is essential for all living creatures. That "breath of life" only comes from one source, and it's the same source as lightning and water came from: God. "In the beginning God created..."
2007-01-21 07:59:53 · answer #1 · answered by arcticsunshine 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Origin of life on earth is called 'Abiogenesis'.
Abiogenesis is a vast topic with only postulates from scientists to explain how life could have formed and no observed theories yet. Blind nature has had billions of years to work on this planet. From storms to Meteor strikes, everything has pushed this planet in some direction or the other in helping form organic compounds. At the same time, nature also had the chance to continuously work on this 'primordial soup' of chemicals formed on this planet.
If you asked anybody to define 'life forms', the prime characteristic that is needed to call anything as 'living' is its ability to make more copies of itself. All that was needed was the emergence of a chemical that could combine with other chemicals to make more copies of itself (which in turn means, each copy can make more copies in turn). Scientists believe this 'mother replicator' chemical must have been similar in structure to RNA (the pre-cursor to DNA that is found in all life forms today).
How this 'replicator' chemical came into existence on this planet is explained by several hypotheses and you are better off reading the wikipedia article on Abiogenesis for rich details.
Now, coming to the phenomenon that you observed in your swimming pool:
Algae are highly evolved and 'complex' in structure compared to this primordial 'mother' replicator. Algae can use sunlight to convert inorganic compounds into organic chemicals which it can in turn use to make more copies of itself.
Chances are, the storm brought with it some algae along with fine water droplets from some other water source and 'seeded' up your swimming pool.
This is definitely not a case of 'life bootstrapping' out of a storm. :)
2007-01-21 12:30:58 · answer #2 · answered by Suraj 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, that's the theory of Spontaneous Generation which was disproven by Pasture. There probably wasn't enough chlorine in it and Cyano grew. chlorine destroys the chlorophyll which keeps Cyano alive. The rain probably lessened the chlorine in your pool. If you don't know what Cyano is its bacteria that lives in water because its a producer.
2007-01-21 12:56:03 · answer #3 · answered by A nobody 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Over a period of time, yes. Though your swimming pool thing is more a case of exposure to air then the Urey-Miller experiments with enclosed ecosystems.
2007-01-21 11:02:07 · answer #4 · answered by Matthew O. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Clean your pool, your ph balance is off.... Life on earth started with dirt.
2007-01-22 06:19:25 · answer #5 · answered by rashell w 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, and meat left unattended will spontaneously grow maggots.
2007-01-21 10:58:00 · answer #6 · answered by gebobs 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With a big bang
2007-01-21 10:01:49 · answer #7 · answered by Mighty C 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Read Genesis, in your bible. God created everything.
2007-01-21 13:06:19 · answer #8 · answered by lemon drops 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Read your bible.
2007-01-21 09:58:37 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋