Biogenese

Biogenesis is the process by which living organisms arise from pre-existing life. The concept is central to biology and contrasts with abiogenesis, the origin of life from non-living matter. Biogenesis is supported by the observation that all known living systems reproduce, transmit genetic information to offspring, and give rise to new individuals through cellular division or other reproductive mechanisms.

Historical development of the idea traces back to ancient speculation but gained strong empirical support in the 19th century. Louis Pasteur’s experiments showing that sterilized environments remain free of life unless contaminated provided decisive refutation of spontaneous generation. The concurrent formulation of cell theory, which posits that all cells come from pre-existing cells, further solidified biogenesis as a general rule of biology.

In practice, biogenesis covers a range of processes. Prokaryotes reproduce by binary fission, while eukaryotes use mitosis and, in sexual organisms, meiosis. Reproduction can occur via seeds, spores, or other specialized structures in plants, fungi, and animals. Beyond reproduction, biogenesis encompasses development, growth, and the transmission of genetic information across generations, shaping heredity and evolution.

Biogenesis is distinguished from abiogenesis, the study of how life might have originated from non-living matter through chemical evolution. Viruses illustrate complexities in the boundary between living and non-living, as they replicate only inside host cells, bringing nuance to traditional definitions of biogenesis.

In modern biology, biogenesis underlies all life processes that propagate and maintain life across generations, sustaining populations, ecological interactions, and evolutionary change.