Chemical Evolution Theory - Origin of Life

CHEMICAL
EVOLUTION THEORY
– ORIGIN OF LIFE
GROUP 5
WHAT IS THE PRIMORDIAL
SOUP?
One of the main tenets of biology is that
living things can only come from other
living things. We are the product of our
mother and father; we did not sprout out
of a cabbage patch. However, at one
point in time, many millions of years ago,
there was no life on our planet. And now
there is. So then, where did that life come
from?
SOUP?
The primordial soup is a theory that attempts
to answer that question. The theory was
generated separately in the 1920s by the
Russian biologist Alexander Oparin and the
English geneticist John Haldane. Basically, the
theory states that when energy, in the form
of lightning for example, was added to Earth's
early atmosphere, the basic building blocks of
life were created.
SOUP?
These building blocks collected
in certain areas, like along the
shoreline of oceans, creating a
soup of organic matter that
eventually evolved into early
forms of life.
DETAILS ON PRIMORDIAL
SOUP
Early Earth Conditions: The early
atmosphere of Earth was rich in simple
gases, such as methane, ammonia, and
hydrogen, but lacked oxygen.
Energy Sources: Energy in the form of
lightning, volcanic activity, or ultraviolet
radiation could trigger chemical reactions
in this primordial atmosphere
SOUP
Formation of Building Blocks: These
reactions produced basic organic
compounds, such as amino acids and
nucleotides, which are essential for life.
Accumulation in Water: These organic
molecules accumulated in bodies of water,
like oceans, creating a "soup" of organic
matter.
SOUP
Evolution of Life: Over time, these
organic compounds underwent
further reactions, eventually
leading to the formation of more
complex structures and the first
simple forms of life.
CHEMICAL EVOLUTION
Chemical evolution is the process by
which simple inorganic compounds
transform into more complex organic
molecules over time, potentially leading
to the origin of life. This process is driven
by natural reactions in prebiotic
environments, resulting in the formation
of key biological building blocks.
Chemical Evolution Theory
Chemical Evolution Theory posits that life
originated from simple organic
compounds through a series of chemical
reactions over time. This theory suggests
that under the right environmental
conditions, these compounds can evolve
into more complex molecules, eventually
leading to the formation of living
KEY CONCEPTS
Prebiotic Chemistry: The study of

chemical processes that occurred
before the existence of life,
focusing on how simple molecules
combined to form complex
organic compounds.
KEY CONCEPTS
Abiogenesis: The process by

which life arises naturally from
non-living matter, often
considered synonymous with
chemical evolution.
KEY CONCEPTS
Self-Organization: The capability

of certain molecules to
spontaneously form organized
structures, which is crucial for the
development of cellular life.
KEY CONCEPTS
Miller-Urey Experiment: A landmark
experiment conducted in 1953 by
Stanley Miller and Harold Urey that
demonstrated how organic
compounds could be synthesized
from inorganic precursors under
conditions thought to resemble those
RNA World Hypothesis
RNA World Hypothesis: A theory

suggesting that self-replicating
ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules
were precursors to current life
forms, playing a critical role in
early biological processes.
Natural Selection
The mechanism by which certain

traits become more common in a
population due to their
advantages for survival and
reproduction, which applies after
the emergence of life.
PROPONENTS OF THE THEORY
Stanley Miller: Co-creator of the

Miller-Urey experiment, which
provided experimental evidence
supporting the chemical
evolution theory.
Harold Urey: A chemist who

worked alongside Miller to
explore the conditions that could
lead to the formation of organic
compounds on early Earth
John H. Holland: A computer

scientist and complex systems
theorist who contributed to our
understanding of self-
organization and evolutionary
processes.
Richard Dawkins: An
evolutionary biologist who has
discussed the implications of
chemical evolution in the context
of the broader theory of
evolution.
Jack Szostak: A biologist known

for his work on the origins of life
and the role of RNA in early life
forms, contributing to the RNA
World Hypothesis.
KEY TERMS OF THE THEORY
Organic Compounds: Molecules

containing carbon, which are the basis
for all known life.
Inorganic Compounds: Molecules that do
not contain carbon-hydrogen bonds,
often considered the precursors to
organic compounds.
Polymerization: The process by which

small molecules (monomers) join
together to form larger, more complex
molecules (polymers).
Metabolism: The set of life-sustaining
chemical reactions that enable
organisms to convert food into energy.
Protocell: A simple, membrane-bound

structure that may have been a
precursor to modern cells, thought to
arise from self-organization of organic
molecules.
CONCLUSION
Chemical evolution is the process by which simple
inorganic compounds transform into complex organic
molecules, potentially leading to the origin of life. This
transformation occurs through various chemical
reactions in prebiotic environments, resulting in the
formation of essential biological components.
Understanding chemical evolution is key to exploring
how life may have originated on Earth and offers
insights into the molecular processes that could give
rise to living organisms.

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CHEMICAL

Prebiotic Chemistry: The study of

Abiogenesis: The process by

Self-Organization: The capability

RNA World Hypothesis: A theory

The mechanism by which certain

Stanley Miller: Co-creator of the

Harold Urey: A chemist who

John H. Holland: A computer

Jack Szostak: A biologist known

Organic Compounds: Molecules

Polymerization: The process by which

Protocell: A simple, membrane-bound

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