Early Greek thinkers thought that units of life called spores were transferred to different planets including earth. Identify the term associated with the above.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Panspermia
Option (1) Abiogenesis — Incorrect. Abiogenesis is the formation of the first life from non-living chemicals, as Oparin and Haldane proposed.
Option (2) Panspermia — Correct. The idea that life reached earth from outside as spores is panspermia. Spontaneous generation and biogenesis are different ideas about where life comes from.
Option (3) Spontaneous generation — Incorrect. This old theory said that life arose from decaying matter such as straw and mud; Pasteur disproved it.
Option (4) Biogenesis — Incorrect. Biogenesis means that life comes only from pre-existing life, as Pasteur showed.
NCERT Extract:
Origin of Life – “… Some scientists believe that it came from outside. Early Greek thinkers thought units of life called spores were transferred to different planets including earth. ‘Panspermia’ is still a favourite idea for some astronomers. For a long time it was also believed that life came out of decaying and rotting matter like straw, mud, etc.”