The study of the origin of life on Earth or, more specifically, how life on Earth began from inanimate matter, is known as abiogenesis.
The origins of life cannot be dated precisely, but there is evidence that bacteria-like organisms lived on Earth 3.5 billion years ago, and they may have existed even earlier, when the first solid crust formed, almost 4 billion years ago. These early organisms were simpler than the organisms living today.
There are many theories which attempt to answer the question – how did the life begin. From the time of Aristotle till the 17th century, life was believed to have originated spontaneously, and was thought to be continuously generated due to the occurrence of chance events.
Some widely known contemporary theories include:
The Primeval Soup Theory
In 1924, Alexander Ivanovich Oparin, proposed that abiogenesis occurred in a warm water body like a pond or an ocean on primordial Earth. The mix of gases in the atmosphere and the energy from lightning strikes, amino acids could spontaneously form in the oceans. The early Earth had a chemically reducing atmosphere, complex organic polymers, and ultimately life, developed in the soup.
Hydrothermal vent theory
Back in 1977, scientists exploring the Pacific Ocean within a submersible called Alvin made a fascinating discovery at the ocean floor; vents that looked like underwater chimneys, spewing out hot water and minerals into the cold surrounding ocean water. They’re caused by tectonic plate movement and are often found along mid-ocean ridges. It was discovered that despite extreme conditions and lack of light they thrive with life, thanks to chemosynthetic processes. Chemosynthesis is the biological conversion of carbon molecules and nutrients into organic matter — the stuff of life. Whereas photosynthesis uses energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into that organic matter, giving off oxygen as a byproduct, chemosynthesis uses inorganic molecules (such as hydrogen sulfide) or methane and combines them with an oxygen source (in this case seawater) to create simple sugars. Scientists proposed that hydrothermal vents provided an ideal environment with all the ingredients needed for microbial life to emerge on early Earth.
This hypothesis claims that life originated elsewhere in the universe and was spread to Earth. The researchers identified key chemical components of DNA and RNA—components called nucleobases—in a meteorite that landed in Australia in 1969.
Panspermia is a similar theory, but it claims that “seeds” of life exist already all over the Universe, that life on Earth may have originated through these “seeds”, and that they may deliver or have delivered life to other habitable bodies.
Mars is considered a possib le prime source as it is similar to Earth with systems of air, water, ice, and geology. Evidence of water, necessary for life, has been found on Mars.
Utafiti wa asili ya uhai duniani au, kwa usahihi zaidi, jinsi uhai duniani ulivyoanza kutoka kwa vitu visivyo na uhai, unajulikana kama abiogenesis. """Hatuwezi kuamua tarehe ya asili ya uhai, lakini kuna ushahidi kwamba viumbe vinavyofanana na bakteria waliishi duniani miaka bilioni 3.5 iliyopita, na huenda hata waliishi kabla ya hapo, wakati kifuniko cha kwanza cha dunia kilipoanzishwa miaka bilioni 4 iliyopita." Viumbe hao wa mapema walikuwa sahili kuliko viumbe wanaoishi leo. Kuna nadharia nyingi ambazo hujaribu kujibu swali <unk> maisha yalianzaje. Tangu wakati wa Aristotle hadi karne ya 17, maisha yaliaminiwa kuwa yalitokea kwa njia ya moja kwa moja, na ilidhaniwa kuwa ilitokana na matukio ya bahati mbaya. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika kitabu cha ""The Primordial Soup Theory"" cha mwaka 1924, mwanasayansi wa sayansi Alexander Ivanovich Oparin alidai kwamba viumbe vya asili vilitokea katika maji ya joto kama vile dimbwi au bahari kwenye dunia ya awali." Mchanganyiko wa gesi katika angahewa na nishati kutoka kwa umeme, asidi za amino zinaweza kuundwa moja kwa moja katika bahari. Dunia ya mapema ilikuwa na angahewa la kupunguza kemikali, polima tata za kikaboni, na hatimaye maisha, yaliyotengenezwa katika supu. Katika mwaka wa 1977, wanasayansi walipokuwa wakichunguza bahari ya Pasifiki kwa kutumia chombo cha kuzamisha maji kinachoitwa Alvin, walipata kitu cha kushangaza: mashimo yaliyofanana na chemchemi za chini ya maji, yalipotoa maji moto na madini kwenye maji baridi ya bahari. Wao husababishwa na harakati ya sahani za tectonic na mara nyingi hupatikana kando ya milima ya katikati ya bahari. Iligunduliwa kwamba licha ya hali mbaya sana na ukosefu wa nuru wao hufanikiwa na maisha, shukrani kwa michakato ya chemosynthetic. Chemosynthesis ni mabadiliko ya kibiolojia ya molekuli za kaboni na virutubisho katika vitu vya kikaboni - vitu vya maisha. Photosynthesis hutumia nishati kutoka kwa mwangaza wa jua kugeuza kaboni dioksidi kuwa nyenzo ya kikaboni, ikitoa oksijeni kama bidhaa ya ziada, na chemosynthesis hutumia molekuli zisizo za kikaboni (kama vile hidrojeni sulfidi) au methani na kuziunganisha na chanzo cha oksijeni (katika kesi hii maji ya bahari) kuunda sukari rahisi. Wanasayansi walipendekeza kwamba chemchemi za maji ya joto zilitoa mazingira bora yenye viungo vyote vilivyohitajiwa ili uhai wa vimelea uibuke kwenye Dunia ya mapema. Nadharia hii hudai kwamba uhai ulitokea mahali pengine katika ulimwengu na kuenea kwenye Dunia. Watafiti hao waligundua kemikali muhimu za DNA na RNA - sehemu zinazoitwa nucleobases - katika meteorite iliyoshuka Australia mwaka 1969. Panspermia ni nadharia inayofanana, lakini inadai kwamba "mbegu" za maisha zipo tayari ulimwenguni kote, kwamba maisha duniani yanaweza kuwa yalitokana na "mbegu" hizi, na kwamba zinaweza kutoa au zimetoa maisha kwa miili mingine inayoweza kuishi. Mihiri inachukuliwa kuwa chanzo kikuu kinachowezekana kwa kuwa ni sawa na Dunia na mifumo ya hewa, maji, barafu, na jiolojia. Uthibitisho wa maji, muhimu kwa uhai, umepatikana kwenye sayari ya Mars.