Theories of Origin of Life

The origin of life means the emergence of heritable and

evolvable self-reproduction. “Origin of Life” is a very complex subject,
and oftentimes controversial. Two opposing scientific theories that
existed on this complex subject for a long time were the so-
called intelligent design and creationism. The big bang theory of the
origin of the Universe gave new ideas about the topic of biological
evolution. It has been hypothesized that complex life-forms on Earth,
including humans, arose over a period of time from simple bacteria-
like tiny cells by a process of self-organization akin to the evolution of
the Universe by self-organization of simple material structures (i.e,
 fundamental particles produced by the big bang) toward more and
more complex structures. There are several theories about the origin
of life.

Special
Creation
Electric Extra-
terrestrial
Spark Origin
(Panespermia)

Community
Clay Spontaneous
Origin

Origin
of life
Deep-Sea Theory of
Vents biochemical
evolution

Chilly Simple
Start beginning
RNA world

It is a very difficult task to find the theory involves behind the origin of life.
Some important theories have been discussed here:

1. Special creation: Life formation on the earth may have been taken
place due to supernatural or divine forces. There are different kinds of
accreditations by different religions.

 HINDU CONCEPT: The whole world, plants, oceans, rivers, humans,

animals are created by Lord Brahma.

 CHRISTIAN & ISLAM CONCEPT: God created the

universe, human beings, plants, oceans and rivers in six
days. All the plants and animals were created at once.
All the living organisms were created in the same form
as they exist today.
The theory of special creation also suggests that Diversity of life form will
not change in future. This theory of origin of life has no scientific
explanations.

2. Extraterrestrial origin: This theory is given by Richer in 1865 and

also known as cosmozoic theory. Panspermia means "seeds everywhere".
This hypothesis states that the "seeds" of life exist all over the Universe and
can be propagated through space from one location to another. Some
believe that life on Earth may have originated through these "seeds" i.e. Life
formation did not take place on earth. It took place somewhere else in
the space or on any other planet and carried to the earth. Mechanisms
for panspermia include the deflection of interstellar dust by solar radiation
pressure and extremophile microorganisms traveling through space within
an asteroid, meteorite or comet.

For example, rocks regularly get blasted off Mars by cosmic impacts, and a
number of Martian meteorites have been found on earth that it is
controversially stated that microbes brought over here, potentially making us
all Martians originally. It is also suggested that life might have carried from
comets.

Three popular variations of the panspermia hypothesis are:

Litho panspermia (interstellar panspermia) - impact-expelled rocks from a
planet's surface serve as transfer vehicles for spreading biological material
from one solar system to another.

Ballistic panspermia (interplanetary panspermia) - impact-expelled rocks

from a planet's surface serve as transfer vehicles for spreading biological
material from one planet to another within the same solar system
Directed Panspermia - the intentional spreading of the seeds of life to other
planets by an advanced extraterrestrial civilization, or the intentional
spreading of the seeds of life from Earth to other planets by humans.
Panspermia does not provide an explanation for evolution or attempt
pinpoint the origin of life in the Universe. The panspermia hypothesis gives
no explanation for how life that arrived on Earth came to be. Even if we are
able to show that life on Earth was a result of panspermia, the question of
where and how life originated will be a lot harder to answer.

3. Spontaneous origin: Life may have evolved from non-living matter as

association with prebiotic molecules under primitive earth conditions,
became more and more complex. This theory suggests that life could come
from nonliving things, decaying and rotting matter like straw, mud, etc.
Several experiments have been conducted to disprove spontaneous
generation.
In 1668, Francesco Redi a scientific experiment to test the
spontaneous creation of maggots by placing fresh meat in three different
jars. He found the maggots in open jar and on the exterior surface of the
cloth that covered the jar. No maggots were found in the sealed jar. Redi
successfully demonstrated that the maggots came
from fly eggs and thereby helped to disprove
spontaneous generation.
Louis Pasteur rejected the theory of spontaneous
generation and demonstrated that life came from
pre-existing life. In his experiment, he kept killed
yeast cells in pre-sterilised flask and another flask
open into air. The life did not evolved in the former
but new living thing evolved in the later flask.
Several other experiments like Needham’s experiment, Spallanzani's
Experiment etc. have been performed which disprove the theory of
spontaneous origin. Spontaneous generation is the incorrect hypothesis that
nonliving things are capable of producing life.

4. Theory of Biochemical Evolution:

Several models for the origin of life have been suggested. The first 'modern'
model for the origin of life was presented in the 1923 independently by the
Russian biochemist A. I. Oparin and later supported by the British
evolutionary biologist J. B. S. Haldane in 1928. The Oparin and Haldane
theory is known as biochemical theory for the origin of life.

According to the Oparin-Haldane model, life could have arisen through a

series of organic chemical reactions that produced ever more complex
biochemical structures. They proposed that common gases in the early
Earth atmosphere combined to form simple organic chemicals, and that
these in turn combined to form more complex molecules. Then, the complex
molecules became separated from the surrounding medium, and acquired
some of the characters of living organisms. They became able to absorb
nutrients, to grow, to divide (reproduce), and so on.

The biochemical origin of life can be studied in three catogeries:

A) Chemical Evolution of life:

1. Formation of Simple inorganic compounds
The atmosphere of primitive earth had various elements like hydrogen,
oxygen, carbon, sulphur, phosphorous, nitrogen etc. These free atoms
combine to form molecules and simple inorganic compounds like
ammonia, water vapour, HCN etc.
 2. Formation of simple organic molecules
The simple inorganic compounds formed in atmosphere interacted and
combined to produce simple compounds such as simple sugars, purines,
pyrimidines, amino acids, etc. The source of energy for chemical
reaction might be solar radiations such as UV rays, lightening, radiations
from radioactive rocks and heat of earth. The simple organic compounds
forms reached the ocean with rainwater.

3. Formation of complex organic molecules

The simple organic molecules have undergone polymerization to form
complex organic molecules like protiens, nucleic acids, amino acids etc
in oceanic water. Formation of these molecules plays a key role in the
chemical evolution of life. The oceanic water rich in mixture of organic
compounds.

B) Biological evolution of life

Formation of life initiated from the ocean containing organic

compounds.

1. Formation of Coacervate
The complex organic molecules of primordial soup in ocean aggregated
together through the colloidal system and bounded by water layer were
called coacervates. They can grow by absorbing nutrients. They have
the power of self growing and dividing by budding like bacteria. They are
intermediate between molecule and organism. Some of the proteins
within coacervates acted as enzymes and began metabolic activities.
 2. Formation of primary living organism
The coacervates presumably obtained energy by fermentation from the
oceanic soup. They were anaerobes. They depended on the existing
organic molecules for their nutrition.

3. Origin of Autotrophs
When supply of existing organic compounds was exhausted, some of
the heterotrophs might have evolved into autotrophs. These organisms
were capable of synthesizing their own organic compounds by
chemosynthesis. They were therefore chemoautotrophs. They develop
the chlorophyll through which the autotrophs can prepare the food.
Oxygen evolved during the photosynthesis and started to accumulate in
atmosphere.

C) Cognogeny
With gradual increase in the number of heterotrophs as they consumed
nutrients of the ocean, there became a declination in organic nutrients.
So they began to search other alternatives for obtaining food. During
photosynthesis, solar energy was trapped by light trapping pigment
called chlorophyll. In this way several other organisms evolved
(prokaryotic, anaerobic etc.). With the increase meant in number of
photoautotrophs O2 released in great extent in ocean and came into
atmosphere. Now an oxidising type atmosphere has been formed. Then
prokaryotes gradually modified to be adapted to the aerobic mode of
respiration. Gradually many types of algae, fungi, protozoa and other
organic living organisms developed.

5. Simple Beginnings: Instead of originating from complex molecules like

RNA, DNA, life might have begun with small and simple molecules
 interacting with each other in cycles of reactions. These reactions might
have been change a simple capsule to cell membranes and over time
more complex molecules or cells. This is the most simple of the standing
theories, and is difficult to dismiss.

6. RNA world: In the formation of

life DNA, RNA and proteins play
important role. DNA can store
genetic information and proteins
can catalyze the reactions. But
RNA can do both the jobs. RNA
has the self-replicating
properties. The RNA world theory suggests that life on Earth began with
simple RNA molecule that could copy itself without help from any other
molecule. The compelling feature of RNA World is that a primordial
molecule provided both catalytic power and the ability to propagate its
chemical identity over generations. Pieces of RNA have been made that
can copy RNA strands longer than
themselves, supporting the idea that the
first life was based on self-replicating
RNA, not DNA.

7. Chilly start: Ice might have covered

the oceans 3 billion years ago, as the
sun was three times less luminous than it now. This layer of ice, possibly
hundreds of feet thick, might have protected fragile, organic compounds
in the water below from ultraviolet light and destruction from cosmic
impacts. The cold might have also helped these molecules to survive
longer, allowing reactions to happen.
The enzyme does not yet copy itself.
The main barrier seems to be the folded
structure that allows it to copy other
RNA. The RNA enzyme’s effectiveness
at cold temperatures suggests ice was
crucial to the first life. When a mix of
RNA and metal ions freezes, growing
ice crystals suck up the water, leaving
tiny pockets of RNA. At cold temperatures, RNA strands often stick
together, making it tricky to separate them after the RNA has been
copied. Ice freezes and melts all the time, so you can easily see how an
RNA replicator could be enclosed, released and allowed to spread.

8. Deep-Sea Vents: This theory suggests that life arose deep in the
ocean within warm, rocky structures called hydrothermal vents. This
theory suggests that life may have begun at submarine hydrothermal
vents and ejecting hydrogen rich molecules. Their rocky nooks could then
have concentrated these molecules together and provided mineral
catalysts for critical reactions. These vents are rich in chemical and
thermal energy. Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are porous geological
structures produced by chemical reactions between solid rock and water.
Alkaline fluids from the Earth’s crust flow up the vent towards the more
acidic ocean water, creating natural proton concentration differences
remarkably similar to those powering all living cells.
9. Community Clay: The first molecule of life, hydrocarbon, might have
met on the clay. These surfaces might not only have concentrated these
organic compounds together but also helped organize them into patterns
much like our genes. Mineral crystals in clay could have arranged organic
molecules into organized patterns. Clay minerals played a key role in
chemical evolution and the origins of life because of their ability to take
up, protect (from UV radiations), concentrate, and catalyse the
polymerization of organic molecules. Clay minerals can also store and
replicate structural defects and ionic substitutions and act as ‘genetic
candidates’. So the minerals and organic molecules in the layers of clay
would favour the formation and replication of biological molecules (e.g.
enzymes, polynucleotides) and favour the possibility of origin of life
through this theory.

10. Electric Spark: Lightning

may have provided the spark
needed for life to begin. There
are two distinct versions of the
spark of life theory. The first of
these versions holds that the
first form of life came into
existence following “one spark”
or on one particular "spark day."
The other version argues that
life came into existence, or rather emerged, following prolonged sparking
rather one specific spark. Electric sparks can generate amino acids and
sugars from an atmosphere loaded with water, methane, ammonia and
hydrogen, as described in Miller Urey experiment. This suggests that
 lightning might have helped create the key building blocks of life on Earth
in its early days. Over time larger molecules could form as a result of this.

References:
1. The Origins of Life: From the Birth of Life to the Origin of Language
By John Maynard Smith, Eörs Szathmáry , 2000

2. Information Theory, Evolution, and the Origin of Life

By Hubert P. Yockey

3. www.livescience.com