abiogenesis

Meaning

The origination of living organisms from lifeless matter; such genesis as does not involve the action of living parents.

Opposite of

biogenesis

Synonyms

spontaneous generation

autogenesis

autogeny

abiogeny

spontaneous origin

self generation

spontaneous generation theory

archigenesis

origin of life

archigony

Translations

abiogenèse

Abiogenese

abiogenesi

abiogènesi

abiogénesis

abiogênese

Abiogenesis

abiogenesis

abiyogenez

generació espontània

autogènesi

génération spontanée

abiogenese

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌeɪbaɪəʊˈdʒɛnəsɪs/

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-, “not-”, the alpha privative) + βῐ́ος (bĭ́os, “life”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- (“to live”)) + γένεσις (génesis, “origin, source; manner of birth; creation”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁tis (“birth; production”)); equivalent to abio- + genesis. The words biogenesis and abiogenesis were both coined by English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895) in 1870 (see the quotation).