THEORIES ABOUT THE

ORIGIN OF THE CELL

NATALIA VILLARREAL LÓPEZ 631308

THEORY OF SPONTANEOUS
GENERATION.
- Life emerges from nonliving matter -

-Aristotle: Bugs born from dew drops on the leaves.

Theophrastus: The Silphium plant sprouts from the bare ground.

-

Paracelsus: Mice, toads and cells can be created from water, air, or
-

decaying matter.

EXPERIMENTS AND
DISCOVERIES
-Francesco Redi: Experiment in 1668, demonstrated that

maggots were the offspring of flies, not products of

spontaneous generation.

-Lazzaro Spallanzani: Whose experiments with broth aimed

to disprove those of Needham.

-Luis Pasteur: Swan necked flask experiments

ORIGIN OF THE FIRST CELL

FROM NON-LIVING MATTER
1.- The production of Carbon compounds like sugars and amino acids
2.- Assembly of carbon compounds into polymers
3.- Formation of membranes
4.- Development of a mechanism for inheritance

ASSEMBLY OF CARBON
COMPOUNDS INTO POLYMERS

A possible site for the origin of the first carbon compounds is around

deep-sea vents. These are cracks in the Earth's surface,

characterized by gushing hot water carrying reduced inorganic

chemicals such as iron sulphide. These chemicals represent readily

accessible supplies of energy, a source of energy for the assembly of

these carbon compounds into polymers.

ENDOSYMBIOTIC THEORY
The Endosymbiotic Theory states that the mitochondria and

chloroplast in eukaryotic cells were once aerobic bacteria

(prokaryote) that were ingested by a large anaerobic bacteria

(prokaryote).
 EXPERIMENTS AND
DISCOVERIES

-Francesco Redi: He predicted that preventing

flies from having direct contact with the meat

would also prevent the appearance of

maggots. Redi left meat in each of six

containers (Figure 1). Two were open to the air,

two were covered with gauze, and two were

tightly sealed.

Lazzaro Spallanzani: Broth in sealed jars and

unsealed jars was infused with plant and animal

matter. Spallanzani’s results contradicted the

findings of Needham: Heated but sealed flasks

remained clear, without any signs of

spontaneous growth, unless the flasks were

subsequently opened to the air.

Luis Pasteur: Made a series of flasks with long,

twisted necks

1) Put broth inside sealed flask and no

organisms appeared,

2) Let air into flask, microorganisms started

growing,

Evidence that spontaneous generation does

NOT occur
 ORIGIN OF THE FIRST CELL
FROM NON-LIVING MATTER

- HYPOTHESIS FOR STEP 1-

Scientists passed vapor through a mix of Methane (CH4),

Hydrogen (H2) and Ammonia (NH3), to represent atmospheric

gases from the beginnings of the earth. They used electric

discharges as a source of energy. Amino acids were formed and

other carbon compounds necessary for life.

Amino acids are the basic units of proteins.

- HYPOTHESIS
FOR STEP 2-
Chemicals gushed out of deep sea vents are source of energy for

assembly of carbon compounds into polymers. A possible site for

the origin of the first carbon compounds is around deep-sea

vents. These are cracks in the Earth's surface, characterized by

gushing hot water carrying reduced inorganic chemicals such as

iron sulphide. These chemicals represent readily accessible

supplies of energy, a source of energy for the assembly of these

carbon compounds into polymers.

- HYPOTHESIS FOR STEP 3-

If phospholipids or other amphipathic carbon compounds were

among the first carbon compounds, they would have naturally

assembled into bilayers. Experiments have shown that these

bilayers readily form vesicles resembling the plasma membrane of

a small cell. This would have allowed different internal chemistry

from that of the surroundings to develop.

- HYPOTHESIS FOR STEP 4-

Living organisms currently have genes made of DNA and use

enzymes as catalysts. To replicate DNA and be able to pass

genes on to offspring, enzymes are needed. However, for

enzymes to be made, genes are needed. The solution to this

conundrum may have been an earlier phase in evolution when

RNA was the genetic material. It can store information in the

same way as DNA but it is both self-replicating and can itself act

as a catalyst. (1.- Theory that RNA used first instead of DNA.

2.- RNA can store information, is self-replacing and can act as a

catalyst)

Miller and Urey showed that simple inorganic

molecules could combine to form the organic
building blocks required for life as we know it.
 ENDOSYMBIOTIC THEORY

- EVIDENCE-
This theory explains the origin of eukaryotic

cells. Numerous lines of evidence exist,

including that mitochondria and chloroplasts

have their own circular DNA (prokaryotes

also have circular DNA), mitochondria and

chloroplasts have a double membrane (the

inner membrane would have initially been

the ingested prokaryote’s single membrane,

and the outer membrane initially would have

come from the cell that engulfed it),

mitochondria and chloroplasts have 70S

ribosomes (prokaryotes 70S have ribosomes,

whereas eukaryotes have 80S ribosomes).

 References
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/microbiology/chap

ter/spontaneous-

generation/#:~:text=The%20Greek%20philosopher%20

Aristotle%20

https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-

news/a-new-study-hints-at-how-non-living-matter-

coalesced-into-the-first-living-cells/

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-

biology/natural-selection/origins-of-life-on-

earth/a/hypotheses-about-the-origins-of-life

https://www.varsitytutors.com/ap_biology-

help/understand-endosymbiotic-theory

https://ib.bioninja.com.au/standard-level/topic-1-cell-

biology/15-the-origin-of-cells/