abiogenesis vs. spontaneous generation?

[Clementia]

Could some smart person out there please enlighten me upon this topic?

 

I have long wondered about the implications of Pasteur's swan-necked flask experiment upon the origins of life. If microbes failed to form spontaneously in sterile broth, how could early cellular organisms have formed spontaneously in the sterile environment of early earth? The research I've done explains that spontaneous generation and abiogenesis are quite different, although I can't figure out exactly how they differ. If life ultimately arose from non-life, why does it count as spontaneous generation in one case (the mythical "maggots generating on rotten meat") but not in the other ( the rise of life forms on a previously sterile early earth)? Is it because in the case of the first living molecules, stretches of time were involved?

 

And at what point is it proposed that a non-living entity became living -- capable of moving about, of nourishing itself, of reproducing?

They say "A is not non-A". At what point did non-life become life?

 

This may seem like a very ignorant question to those who are more educated. I apologize for seeming an illiterate boor. The fact is, I know more about philosophy and medieval history than I do about biology, and my philosophy is bumping heads with my science. I've been trying to muddle through this for some time now, and I would appreciate any help on the topic. If it's too big to address properly on an online forum, just point me to some author who deals with the question at length. Thanks!

[Moontanman]

Spontaneous generation has to do with complex animals appearing in their current form magically, abiogenesis has to do with the formation of naturally occurring self replicating molecules.

 

For some reason I can't get google to work but here is a short video that should get you pointed in the correct direction...

 

[Clementia]

Thanks! That answer gives me something to go on. I appreciate the help.

[Delta1212]

Another thing to keep in mind that is important when considering this subject: The distinction between life and non-life is significantly more arbitrary than most people realize. Life is a self-replicating chemical process. Every self-replicating chemical process/pattern is not classified as life, however.

 

Abiogenesis generally assumes that what we classify as life developed from simpler self-replicating molecules, whereas spontaneous generation generally refers to life going *poof* and appearing from nowhere.