Which statement addresses the origin of life from the list shown?

Which statement addresses the origin of life from the list shown?

• A. Microbes are found on dust particles.
• B. Microbes can be used to clean up toxic spills.
• C. a specific microbe is the cause of a specific disease.
• D. Life forms can only arise from preexisting life forms.

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is biogenesis versus spontaneous generation and how life begins. The statement that life forms can only arise from preexisting life directly tackles the origin question by asserting a continuous lineage of life—life comes from life. This reflects the principle of biogenesis and the historical evidence from experiments like Pasteur’s, which argued against spontaneous generation in present-day conditions. While the precise origin of the very first life on Earth remains a topic of abiogenesis hypotheses, this idea is the best fit for addressing how life originates because it explicitly states that new life comes from existing life. The other statements describe microbial presence, an environmental application, or a disease-causing organism, but they do not address how life begins.

The main idea here is biogenesis versus spontaneous generation and how life begins. The statement that life forms can only arise from preexisting life directly tackles the origin question by asserting a continuous lineage of life—life comes from life. This reflects the principle of biogenesis and the historical evidence from experiments like Pasteur’s, which argued against spontaneous generation in present-day conditions. While the precise origin of the very first life on Earth remains a topic of abiogenesis hypotheses, this idea is the best fit for addressing how life originates because it explicitly states that new life comes from existing life. The other statements describe microbial presence, an environmental application, or a disease-causing organism, but they do not address how life begins.