spontaneous generation
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * Spontaneous Generation: The obsolete biological theory that living organisms can arise directly and spontaneously from non-living matter, without the need for parents or seeds. This concept was also historically called abiogenesis.
Usage
This term is used almost exclusively in historical, philosophical, or educational contexts to describe a once widely-held scientific belief that has been conclusively disproven. * The theory of spontaneous generation held that maggots arose from rotting meat. * Louis Pasteur's experiments in the 19th century provided definitive evidence against spontaneous generation. * The idea of spontaneous generation was used for centuries to explain the origin of life, insects, and microorganisms.
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used in contrast to the modern scientific principle of biogenesis (the observation that living things come only from other living things).
- The rejection of spontaneous generation and the acceptance of biogenesis was a major milestone in biology.
Variants and Related Words
- Abiogenesis (n): This term is a near synonym but has a distinct modern usage. Historically, it was used interchangeably with "spontaneous generation." In contemporary science, it refers specifically to the study of how life arose from non-living matter on the early Earth, which is a separate field of research.
- Biogenesis (n): The opposing principle, stating that life arises only from pre-existing life.
Synonyms
- Abiogenesis (historical sense)
- Autogenesis (less common)
Related Phrases
- Theory of spontaneous generation: The full name of the discredited hypothesis.
- Francesco Redi was one of the first scientists to challenge the theory of spontaneous generation.
Noun
- a hypothetical organic phenomenon by which living organisms are created from nonliving matter