Life functions through the specialized chemistry of carbon and water, and builds largely upon four key families of chemicals: lipids for cell membranes, carbohydrates such as sugars, amino acids for protein metabolism, and nucleic acid DNA and RNA for the mechanisms of heredity.

2022年9月19日 · The origin of life on Earth stands as one of the great mysteries of science. To find out if we are alone in the galaxy, we will need to better understand what geochemical conditions nurtured the first life forms.

The history of life on Earth traces the processes by which living and extinct organisms evolved, from the earliest emergence of life to the present day.

2009年9月1日 · The earliest forms of life could have been simple membranes made of fatty acids—also structures known to form spontaneously—that enveloped water and these self-replicating genetic molecules.

2025年1月12日 · Life - Origin, Evolution, Abiogenesis: Perhaps the most fundamental and at the same time the least understood biological problem is the origin of life. It is central to many scientific and philosophical problems and to any consideration of extraterrestrial life.

All living things reproduce, copying their genetic material and passing it on to their offspring. Thus, the ability to copy the molecules that encode genetic information is a key step in the origin of life — without it, life could not exist.

2024年3月8日 · About a billion years later, life not only existed, but was also leaving evidence of its presence in the form of fossilized microbial mats. So, what happened in the interim?

2025年1月12日 · Life - Evolution, History, Earth: The evidence is overwhelming that all life on Earth has evolved from common ancestors in an unbroken chain since its origin. Darwin’s principle of evolution is summarized by the following facts.

2023年6月13日 · How Did Earth End Up With Life? Much of NASA’s astrobiology research, studying the origins and requirements of life in the cosmos, begins right here at home. And it goes all the way back to the birth of our star, the Sun, inside a swirling cloud of gas and dust.

2024年8月7日 · Scientists have long sought to discover the key factors that enabled the planet’s chemistry to change enough to form and sustain life. Now, new research zeroes in on how lightning strikes may have served as a vital spark, transforming the atmosphere of early Earth into a hotbed of chemical activity.