Evolving Concept of Life
Based on Emerging Pieces of
Evidence
LESSON 2
OBJECTIVES
1.Identify and explain different theories
on how life began.
2. Compare and contrast these theories.
3.Evaluate the evidence supporting
each theory.
Introductory Activity
What are your ideas about how
life on Earth started?
ACTIVITY
Directions: Discuss the early forms of
life within your group. Present your
output in front of the audience in a
creative way that you want.
ANALYSIS
How did you find the activity?
ABSTRACTION
Theory of Special creation
In accordance with the Book of Genesis, that
every species was individually created by God
in the form in which it exists today and is not
capable of undergoing any change.
ABSTRACTION
Cosmozoic Theory (Panspermia Theory)
– the idea proposed by Richter in 1865 and supported by Arrhenius
(1908).
- According to this theory, life has reached Earth from other heavenly
bodies such as meteorites, in the form of highly resistant spores of
some microorganisms.
- The spores of some organisms are called cosmozoa or panspermia
because they are preserved inside meteorites coming to the Earth
from outer space. These meteorites struck the barren earth to
release the cosmozoa and they developed into different creatures on
the Earth.
ABSTRACTION
Theory of Spontaneous Generation
-also known as Abiogenesis, the idea that life
arose from nonlife more than 3.5 billion years
ago on Earth. Abiogenesis proposes that the
first life-forms generated were very simple and
through a gradual process became increasingly
complex.
ABSTRACTION
Redi's experiment:
Francesco Redi, an Italian scientist, conducted a famous
experiment in the 17th century to disprove the theory
of spontaneous generation. He placed meat in jars,
some covered with gauze and others uncovered.
Maggots appeared in the uncovered jars but not in the
covered ones. This showed that flies laid eggs on the
meat, and the eggs hatched into maggots, not that the
maggots spontaneously appeared.
ABSTRACTION
Pasteur's experiment:
Louis Pasteur, a French scientist, conducted a series of
experiments in the 19th century that definitively disproved the
theory of spontaneous generation. He used swan-necked
flasks to prevent microorganisms from entering the broth
inside. When the broth was boiled to sterilize it, it remained
sterile for long periods. However, if the neck of the flask was
broken, microorganisms could enter and the broth would
become contaminated. This showed that life does not arise
from non-living matter but comes from pre-existing life.
ABSTRACTION
Biogenesis Theory
-Life is derived from the reproduction of
other life, which was presumably preceded
by abiogenesis, which became impossible
once Earth’s atmosphere assumed its
present composition.
ABSTRACTION
Primordial Soup Theory
According to the primordial soup theory proposed
by Alexander Oparin and John Haldane, life started in a
primordial soup of organic molecules.
Some form of energy from lightning combined
with the chemicals in the atmosphere to make the
building blocks of protein known as the amino acids.
ABSTRACTION
Miller-Urey hypothesis
The first hypothesis that lightning could have operated
the synthesis reactions in the Earth’s early atmosphere
was tested in 1953. It provided the first evidence that
organic molecules needed for life could be formed from
inorganic components. Some scientists support the
RNA world hypothesis, which suggests that the first life
was self-replicating RNA.
ABSTRACTION
Coacervate Theory
-it is expressed by the Russian biochemist A.I. Oparin in 1936
suggesting that the origin of life was preceded by the formation of
mixed colloidal units called coacervates. These are particles
composed of two or more colloids which might be protein, lipid, or
nucleic acid. He proposed that while these molecules were not living,
they behaved like biological systems in the ancient seas. They were
subject to natural selection in terms of constant size and chemical
properties, there was a selective accumulation of material and they
reproduced by fragmentation.
ABSTRACTION
Oparin-Haldane hypothesis: The coacervate theory is
often associated with the Oparin-Haldane hypothesis,
which proposed that the Earth's early atmosphere was a
reducing atmosphere containing gases like methane,
ammonia, and hydrogen. This atmosphere, combined
with energy sources like lightning and ultraviolet
radiation, could have led to the formation of organic
molecules.
ABSTRACTION
Fossil Evidence
Fossil evidence indicates that life on Earth appeared about
3.5 billion years ago in the oceans
Provided protection from Ultraviolet (UV) rays
Allowed multidirectional movement
Served as a medium for essential chemical reactions.
Anaerobic prokaryotes
ABSTRACTION
Fossil Evidence
Fossil evidence indicates that life on Earth appeared about
3.5 billion years ago in the oceans
Provided protection from Ultraviolet (UV) rays
Allowed multidirectional movement
Served as a medium for essential chemical reactions.
Anaerobic prokaryotes
ABSTRACTION
Early forms of life
The first forms of life are believed to have appeared some 3.5
billion years ago.
Photosynthetic organisms are organisms that make their own
food by utilizing the energy from the sun and the carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere. The process of photosynthesis produced more
oxygen that changed the Earth’s early atmosphere and allowed
oxygen-breathing organisms to exist.
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are the first photosynthetic
organisms to form.
ABSTRACTION
The Early Life
The formation of planets did not use up all the
materials orbiting the sun, so the early Earth received
shower of meteorites and was struck by many
asteroids. These extraterrestrial materials and the
recurring volcanic eruptions paved the way for the
formation of Earth’s land, seas, and atmosphere.
It is still a matter of discussion, but geological evidence
suggests that the early Earth began with little or no free
Oxygen (O2)—had O2 been present iron oxidation (rust
formation) in most ancient rocks would have been observed,
but no such sign of oxidation was found. Had O2 been
present, small organic compounds would have broken apart as
quickly as they formed due oxidation reactions.
We know that water is essential to life because
molecules that are parts of life-sustaining processes
would have to be dissolved in water. The Earth’s
lithosphere did not exist then, but it was covered by
molted rock, hence water was in the form of vapor.
But as evidence from ancient rocks suggests, Earth
had cooled down 4.3 billion years ago causing pools
of water to arise.
Organic Monomers
Chemists thought that organic molecules were
only made by living organisms and it possessed a
special vital force. But in the early 1900, a chemist was
able to make urea the organic molecule found in urine.
Then another was able to synthesize an amino acid
called alanine.
The synthesis of these molecules showed the possibility
that organic molecules can be formed synthetically.
In the present, there are three (3) main hypotheses that
explain the mechanism on how the organic monomers came
about in early Earth. These mechanisms are not mutually
exclusive and might have set off simultaneously contributing to
the formation of the simple organic compounds in Earth’s early
seas—where early life could have started.
Extraterrestrial Materials
At present, meteorites that fall to Earth are often
analyzed and was found out that some contains amino
acids, sugars, and nucleotide bases. These compounds
(or their precursors) have been found in gas clouds
that surrounds nearby star.
Thus, the third hypothesis—that early life may
have been brought about by the extraterrestrial
materials that fell on the early Earth—was
created. This hypothesis suggests that materials
from space carried with them organic monomers
that were formed from outer space.
APPLICATION
Directions: In your group, create a
Venn diagram to compare the three
theories, Creationism, Panspermia,
and Abiogenesis. Then present it to
the class.
ASSESSMENT
Directions: Complete the sentence in each item. Select the
correct word/s in the box.
1. ____________________ indicates that life on Earth appeared about 3.5 billion years ago in the oceans.
2. ____________________ are the first photosynthetic organisms to form.
3. Chemists thought that _________________were only made by living organisms and it possessed a special vital force.
4. The process of photosynthesis produced more oxygen that changed the Earth’s early atmosphere, allowed __________________organisms to exist.
5. _____________________ are organisms who make their own food by utilizing the energy from the sun and the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
ASSESSMENT
1. ____________________ indicates that life on
Earth appeared about 3.5 billion years ago in the
oceans.
2. ____________________ are the first
photosynthetic organisms to form.
ASSESSMENT
3. Chemists thought that _________________were
only made by living organisms and possessed a
special vital force.
4. The process of photosynthesis produced more
oxygen that changed the Earth’s early atmosphere,
and allowed __________________organisms to
exist.
ASSESSMENT
5. _____________________ are organisms who
make their own food by utilizing the energy
from the sun and the carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
ASSESSMENT
1. Fossil evidence indicates that life on Earth appeared about 3.5 billion years
ago in the oceans.
2. Cyanobacteria are the first photosynthetic organisms to form.
3. Chemists thought that organic molecules were only made by living
organisms and possessed a special vital force.
4. The process of photosynthesis produced more oxygen that changed the
Earth’s early atmosphere and allowed oxygen-breathing organisms to exist.
5. Photosynthetic organisms are organisms that make their own food by
utilizing the energy from the sun and the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
