1.

5 The Origin of Cells

Testing the general principles that underlie the natural
world – the principle that cells only come from pre-existing
cells needs to be verified.
IB Understandings and Applications
• Cells can only be formed by division of pre-
existing cells.
• The first cells must have arisen from non-living
material.
• The origin of eukaryotic cells can be explained by
the endosymbiotic theory.
• Evidence from Pasteur’s experiments that
spontaneous generation of cells and organisms
does not now occur on Earth.
 Recall Cell Theory

• Cells are the fundamental building blocks of all living

organisms
– All organisms are composed of one or more cells
• Cells are the smallest units of life
– Organisms consisting of only one cell carry
out all functions of life in that cell
• Cells come from other cells
- by cell division
 Where does life come from?
Early Theory:
“Spontaneous Generation”
• Until the 19th century it was widely believed that life
could emerge spontaneously from non-living matter
• Eg. To produce mice, you could put sweaty
underwear and wheat husks in an open jar
• Redi and Pasteur both performed experiments to
disprove spontaneous generation….

Van Helmont’s Experiment:

 Francisco Redi
• Italian physician and poet
• Experimented with maggots and
meat in 1668
• At the time, it was accepted that
maggots appeared
spontaneously on raw meat
• Redi believed maggots came
from eggs laid by flies
• Set up an experiment with meat
in jars with the following results
-->
– What were the manipulated and
responding variables?
 Louis Pasteur
• Well-known French scientist (chemist) –
experimented with broth in a flask with an S-
shaped neck (1864)
• Put boiled broth in flask, air could get in, but
dust (and microorganisms) could not land; no
growth observed
• Tipped some broth into neck of the flask;
mould grew
• Used same broth, same flask, same
temperature conditions
• What were the manipulated, responding and
controlled variables?
• What could Pasteur conclude?...Cells must
come from other cells.
• What else is Pasteur famous for?
Where did the first cell come from?
• The mysterious origins o The appearance of the first
f life on Earth - Luka Sea cells marked the origin of
mus Wright Ted Ed 5 mi life on Earth. However,
n. before cells could form, the
• Oparin, Haldane, Miller' organic molecules must
s Primordial Soup experi have united with one
ment - "It's OK to be Sm
art" another to form more
First 5 of 13 min. complex molecules called
polymers. Ex. Proteins and
polysaccharides etc…
 Timeline from 1 cell st

• Evolutionary timelines come in Bio 20 so we will

generalize a lot here.

a b
Chemicals  Prokaryotic cells  Eukaryotic cells
a “abiogenesis” – ~4.1-3.5 bya (billion years ago)

b “endosymbiosis” - ~1.8 – 1.45 bya

• A Brief History of Life on Earth: The Full Series
First 9 minutes only
Endosymbiotic Theory to explain the origin of
eukaryotic cells
• Theory that mitochondria, chloroplasts and
possibly other organelles of eukaryotic cells
are descended from prokaryotes taken inside
other prokaryotes.
• “engulfed but not digested”
• Endo = “inside”
• Symbiosis = close relationship
Evidence for the endosymbiotic theory
• Mitochondria and chloroplasts:
– replicate by binary fission (like
prokaryotes)
– have their own circular, naked DNA
– have their own 70s ribosomes (not
80s)
– have double membranes (one from
the original prokaryotic cell and the
one made during formation of the
food vacuole in phagocytosis)