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Scientific Secrets of Jainism
is possible that the living organisms were formerly in different surroundings originated from nonliving substances. This is the idea in the background of abiogenesis and scientists try to prove that living organisms were originated from non-living substances.
In the book entitled, 'The Origin of Life' published in 1936 A.D. A. I. Oparin, a Russian biochemist said about the origin of living organisms that in the beginning of the earth, the atmosphere contained only hydrogen, water vapour, ammonia and methane. There was no free oxygen but there was a little quantity of Carbon-di-Oxide (CO). The earth cooled down and then it rained. Rivers, ponds and seas came into existence. Ammonia(NH,), methane(CH.), hydrogen(H2), water vapour(H.O), salts, minerals etc. mixed with water. On account of ultraviolet rays, ozone and oxygen remained in the atmosphere. According to Oparin, these conditions brought about decomposition of gases and production of organic compounds, which were building blocks for living micro-organisms in the beginning. But can there be organic compounds in the form of such organic building blocks before the creation/origin of life? For solution of this question, a scientist named Stanley Miller made an instrument in 1953 A.D. and proved with experiments that with compounds of H,, CH, NH, and H.O(vapour), amino acids only in the liquid form and some organic compounds, DNA and RNA which could be seem in living organisms, could be prepared within a week.
Another experiment proving the theory of A.I. Oparin was performed in 1964 A.D. by scientist named Sydney Fox. He heated a mixture of some amino acids. Then polypeptides were prepared after some chemical processes. They took form of small chains. They were called proteinoids because their nature resembled the nature of proteins. The protenoids were put into hot water. When the hot water cooled, some subtle microspheroids took shape
In the primitive initial surroundings conceived in the theory of A.I. Oparin, chains of long chemical reactions were made and such big atoms as poyneucleotides, which contained DNA and RNA, were made.
Though the microspheres and poyneucleotides were not like living cells, they were particles of organic substances which had acquired natural tendencies of elasticity etc. These particles and microspheres mixed with one another and made more complex substances which could not grow in
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