Stated Clearly presents: Can science explain the origin of life? A full scientific explanation for the
origin of life does not currently exist, but research
groups around the globe are tackling the mystery. Here we'll take a look at a few of their
discoveries. Darwin's theory of biological evolution tells us that all life on Earth may have
originated from a single, relatively simple reproducing creature,
living in the distant past. This idea is based on many observations
one of which is that when living things reproduce children are often born with random new
traits. Those with negative new traits are less likely to survive and reproduce, those with positive new traits are more
likely to survive and pass those traits on to their
children. Over multiple generations positive traits build up allowing
relatively simple life forms to evolve into complex life forms and even split into multiple different
species. a careful look at the fossil record
overwhelmingly confirms Darwin's theory, life forms get simpler and simpler as we
go back in time. The record suggests that all life on
Earth emerged from primitive cellular colonies which first appeared roughly three and a
half billion years ago. But how did those first reproducing
creatures come about? Even the simplest bacteria alive today are far too complex to have popped into
existence in a single step. Furthermore, the first reproducing
creature could not have developed through biological evolution, because biological evolution requires
reproduction in order to work. The origin of life
needs its own explanation. The most promising
idea right now, the one which is consistently leading
scientist to new discoveries, is the idea that life emerged from
chemistry! Chemistry is the study of matter. Particularly, how atoms interact and
combine to form molecules, and how those molecules interact and
combined to form larger systems and structures. Everything is made of chemicals, the air we breathe, the ground we
walk on, the shoes on our feet, even the feet inside our shoes. That said the chemistry and life is special in two
very important ways. First, the chemistry of life is
organized into metabolic pathways. If you look at
the cells of any living thing, even a plant which you wouldn't normally
think of as being very lively, you discover a world activity! Chemical
reactions occur in continuous orderly paths, each reaction sparking the next.
Scientists call these strange reactions metabolic pathways. the second oddity of life's chemistry, is
that living cells are made special molecules building blocks like amino acids and
sugars which we once thought could not be found
outside of life. These building blocks combine to form highly complex and orderly
structures like genes, proteins, and cell membranes. In the past, scientist had no idea what
powered the strange activities of life, and produced its unique chemicals. They
concluded that life must be fueled by a mysterious energy they called it: The Vital Force! In 1828 a chemist by the name of
Friedrich Wöhler accidentally produced urea in his lab.
Urea is one of the main components of urine One of many chemicals that the
scientists of his time thought could only be produced by the Vital Force, acting inside a living creature. The
artificial production and urea suggested that life might not be powered by a
mysterious force, but instead is powered by normal
chemical reactions, which could be studied and understood. Since that time, numerous molecules and
cellular activities have been recreated in the lab, clearly demonstrating a life is powered
by normal chemical reactions, and suggesting that life may have emerged from non-living chemistry. Researchers have recently discovered
that many of the building blocks of life, amino acids and sugars, exist inside of meteorites, rocks which have fallen to the earth from
outer space. This tells us that these special molecules are being produced
spontaneously all throughout our solar system and may
have been common on the ancient Earth. We've also discovered a process now
referred to as Chemical Evolution. When simple
molecules are left alone with an energy source, they interact with one another often
forming larger more complex molecules as time goes on. Experiments in the lab
have shown that chains of chemical reactions can develop, some of which resemble the metabolic
pathways of life! Surprisingly we've also found that
certain molecules have the remarkable ability to self-assemble into complex orderly
structures. Some self-assemble into hollow spheres almost identical to the membranes of
modern living cells. Others self-assemble into long columns remarkably similar to the strains of DNA
found in life. Scientists still have many questions to
answer about life's origins: How did different types the molecules first start working together, eventually producing the genetic code? What were the original reproducing
creatures actually like? Were they similar to the cells we have today? Or were they something much simpler? And finally, possibly the most interesting
question of all, how likely is it the life has formed or is forming, in other regions are
galaxy? So... back to the original question, can
science explain the origin of life? Science has not explained the origin of life in full detail, but researchers are
building a theory intended to one day describe, start to finish, how basic chemistry can give rise to
living cells! I'm Jon Perry and that's the origin of life, as we
understand it so far, Stated Clearly.
support their kickstarter! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/statedclearly/defend-evolution-with-clear-friendly-instruction?ref=users
Excellent!