Origins of Life

In the early twentieth century a Russian Chemist A.I. Oparin and English Geneticist J.B.S. Haldane first announced the idea of the Primordial Soup Theory. The theory basically claims that life began in a lake or ocean at least 3.8 billion years ago with the help of the chemicals found in the atmosphere. Scientists believe that rain and lightning was a major catalyst: providing the energy needed to transform the simple molecules from the atmosphere into nature’s seed that would eventually develop into every species on our planet.

Scientists provide this evidence to back their claims. First organisms brought to life by lightning must have been simple heterotrophs, creatures that consumed other creatures to survive. However, these ancient microbial life forms would have eventually developed the means of photosynthesis and mutate into autotrophs. In 1950 a famous experiment took place where chemist Stanley Miller and physicist Harold Urey mixed gases thought to be present on a young earth. The scientists tested the theory by simulating lightning by electrically sparking the mixture of methane, ammonia, water, and hydrogen. The results produced amino acids, the start of protein.

I think that this is very possible if not probable. However, since there is no way of really knowing this theory must remain a theory, but it is likely to be true. This idea really makes me think that the universe must be teaming with life. The billions upon billions of chances of this simple natural process happening, but we make life off of our planet seem like fantasy.  

 http://pandasthumb.org/archives/2010/02/03/PrimordialSoupPPR.jpg

 http://www.livescience.com/18565-life-building-blocks-chemical-evolution.html