Abiogenesis

Abiogenesis (Gr. a, 'without,' and bios, 'life'), a term applied by Huxley in 1870 to the origin of living forms from non-living matter. There is no experimental evidence to show that in the world around us there is ever any exception to the general statement, omne vivum e vivo. A contrary belief was indeed prevalent until the end of the 17th century, but this was mainly based on the results of incomplete observation. The views of modern naturalists in regard to the origin of living matter or protoplasm are discussed elsewhere. See LIFE, PROTOPLASM, SPONTANEOUS GENERATION.