Can Science Explain the Origin of Life?

Darwin's theory of biological evolution helps us understand how simple life forms can give rise to complex lifeforms, but how did the first reproducing creatures come about? The origin of life needs its own explanation.

Scientists don't currently have a complete explanation for life's origins, but different labs around the globe are looking into the idea that life may have emerged from chemistry. In this animation you will learn why they are studying this idea, and you'll get to see a few of the fascinating things they have discovered.

Here are some links for further learning (organized by topic):

OVERVIEW OF CURRENT RESEARCH

Here David Deamer gives a wonderful overview of our current understanding of the origin of life. This hour long lecture is presented in clear language for all to follow:

SELF-ASSEMBLY

Video series on the self assembly of primitive cell membranes:

Video interview with chemist Jack Szostak. In it he goes over his work on self-assembling membranes and genes.

Scientific journal exploring molecules with self-assembly properties. (You need a subscription to the journal to get past the abstract)

RNA SYNTHESIS

Video on John Sutherland's production of RNA nucleotides

EARLY FOSSILS

David Attenborough explores the lives of early organisms found in the fossil record. This video explores the evolution of early organisms but does not go over the origin of the first living things.

METABOLIC PATHWAYS

Websites for further learning:

CORRECTIONS:

#chemistry #originoflife #Darwin

[jayyemm]

Imagine if all of life was just a game show and once we figured out the origin of life, space opens up like giant curtains and there’s just giant alien/cosmic beings clapping for us 👏🏼

[tadashimori]

Gosh... I wanted to read the comments to enlighten a little bit more, but it's filled with Atheist x Religion discuss...

[tuschman]

I lost it at "foot molecules". That really tickled me.

[snpio]

I like him honestly stating that 'science has not explained the origin of life in full detail'. It is important, as a scientist, to clarify and understand what can be explained and what cannot be explained yet. Also summarized well about the findings so far.

[theincarnationofboredom]

"i made pee without peeing"
that made me laugh

[Thrall]

"Science can't explain it _yet_ so it must've been *magic*!"

[Yam-jtvw]

reading the comment section is giving me more of a headache than taking my science quiz tomorrow.

[jhmejia]

Short answer: not yet! But that doesn’t mean we know nothing, we know a lot actually.

[LosloTypical]

I love how all the people who support the fact of evolution comment show proof to hold up their statesment, while the creationist just say say, "God made the earth."

Or they try to prove God exists... By using the Bible as their evidence... Seriously? Why use the Bible to show a person who doesn't believe in the Bible that the Bible is truth.

[zombieslayer]

Why isn't this stuff on Discovery Channel prime time? Oh because Amish Mafia is on then. Nevermind

[marvinkitfox]

Extremely simplified, but containing absolutely no falsehoods or misleading pseudo-facts.
i like!

[eshkeitt]

Human: how did life started? *doing research to find out how*

Alien/higher being: look at these chunks of atoms trying to understand how it came to be. Pathetic, complex chunks of atoms trying to understand itself, hysterical.smh

[ateam]

"I don't understand and I don't like it so it can't be true."

[braydenbuhler]

I just watched an extremely well made, enjoyable and educational video. It stimulated my mind and made me think. Then I read the comments and I cried.

[luckychucky]

I really got to say you guys do a great job thank you for the information I so appreciate it

[tompalmer]

It would be a productive line of research to actually investigate if life has originated from a single source, or if life began in different environments on earth.

[SCWoodbury]

This makes more sense to me than a male conservative "creator" who doesn't want us to masturbate.

[leot]

Thank you very much for your videos. You explain concepts very well so that they can be easily understood by everyone, yet you don't sacrifice depth when covering these topics.

[albertmarti]

I'm rewatching this after many years since I am now taking a course on Energy and Evolution at university. After restlessly digging through the literature, I'd conclude that we will never really know for sure what the origin of life was, but I believe that we're pretty good at coming up with ideas and testing them, and that we already have quite a good idea of how it may have been, regardless of the fact that there are different schools of thought.

[johntaylor]

Everything is chemistry. that makes me think mushrooms hold more answers then we know. Since it just alters our chemistry