Who proposed that the first form of life could have come from pre-existing non-living organic molecules?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Oparin and Haldane
Option (1) Darwin — Incorrect. Darwin explained how living forms change: by natural selection of the fittest. He did not say how the first life arose.
Option (2) Oparin and Haldane — Correct. Oparin of Russia and Haldane of England gave this idea. They said that chemical evolution came first, and S.L. Miller later tested it in a laboratory.
Option (3) Lamarck — Incorrect. Lamarck said that evolution was driven by the use and disuse of organs, as in the long neck of the giraffe.
Option (4) Thomas Malthus — Incorrect. Malthus wrote on human population: that it grows faster than its food supply. His work helped Darwin, but it has nothing to do with the origin of life.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2026 on 25-05-2026 (Slot 2).
NCERT Extract:
Origin of Life – “… Oparin of Russia and Haldane of England proposed that the first form of life could have come from pre-existing non-living organic molecules (e.g. RNA, protein, etc.) and that formation of life was preceded by chemical evolution, i.e., formation of diverse organic molecules from inorganic constituents.”