Biology / Unit 8 Bio 1829 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Prebiotic Earth Conditions and Abiotic Synthesis
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The idea
Before life existed, early Earth's atmosphere and energy sources could, under one long-standing hypothesis, have driven abiotic synthesis of simple organic molecules from inorganic starting material.
In practice
Volcanic gases plus lightning-like energy in an early-Earth model yield amino acids without any living cell present to make them.
Where people slip
Forming organic molecules abiotically is not forming life — self-replication and heredity remain separate, unexplained steps.
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