Origins of life

Abiogenesis (British English: /ˌeɪˌbaɪoʊˈdʒɛnᵻsᵻs, -ˌbaɪə-/, /-ˌbiːoʊ-, -ˌbiːə-/), biopoiesis, \by-o-po-ee-sis\ or informally, the origin of life, is the natural process by which life arises from non-living matter, such as simple organic compounds. Abiogenesis is studied through a combination of paleontology, laboratory experiments and extrapolation from the characteristics of modern organisms, and aims to determine how pre-life chemical reactions gave rise to life on Earth.