Biogenesis

Origin

- + genesis + -

Full definition of biogenesis

Noun

1. The principle that living organisms are produced only from other living organisms.
• 2013-03, w, The Smallest Cell, It is likely that the long evolutionary trajectory of Mycoplasma went from a reductive autotroph to oxidative heterotroph to a cell-wall–defective degenerate parasite. This evolutionary trajectory assumes the simplicity to complexity route of biogenesis, a point of view that is not universally accepted.
2. Biosynthesis.

Related terms

• abiogenesis