The supposed origination of living organisms from lifeless matter; such genesis as does not involve the action of living parents; spontaneous generation; -- called also abiogeny, and opposed to biogenesis.

The development of living organisms from nonliving matter.

a hypothetical organic phenomenon by which living organisms are created from nonliving matter

the hypothetical process where life spontaneously formed from organic material that had arisen from inorganic material.

spontaneous generation, nonliving matter yielding life

The evolutionary idea of a rock turning into an amoeba. [See spontaneous generation

Not to be confused with "spontaneous generation," it is the theory that life originally arose from non-living matter, given the proper conditions during the early earth.

An early theory that held that some organisms originated from nonliving material.