Question

The theory of hot dilute soup was given by
A) Oparin
B) Haldane
C) Urey
D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Hot dilute soup refers to the primitive oceans where organic molecules were produced.

Complete Answer:
The origin of life is quite an enigmatic and fascinating aspect of evolutionary biology. Different evolutionary biologists have provided various theories to speculate the origin of life. One such theory is known Oparin-Haldane Theory. This theory is by far the most accepted theory for the possible way of origin of life. It has been proved experimentally by Urey and Miller. One of the most fascinating aspects of this theory is the existence of hot dilute soup or prebiotic ocean water in which the first organic molecules are thought to have been formed. This was proposed by Haldane.

Let us see the various points as proposed in this theory as follows:
1) The formation of organic compounds facilitated by a source of energy occurred initially in hot oceanic waters, that appeared like a hot dilute soup.
2) These organic molecules have undergone further polymerization to form more complex biomolecules like proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, fats, etc.
3) These biomolecules were capable of dividing and increasing their number.
4) These biomolecules must have interacted with others to form certain structures, like membranes would have come due to interaction between proteins and lipids, etc.
5) Oparin suggested that these biomolecules formed a cluster called coacervates that are thought to be the precursors of first living cells.
6) Haldane proposed that lack of oxygen made the environment reduced and favoured the formation of organic molecules.
7) This theory came to be known as chemosynthetic theory of origin of life.

Therefore, the correct answer is option B.

Note: The chemosynthetic theory of origin of life was experimentally proved by Urey and Miller who provided primitive atmospheric conditions to the experimental setup and observed the formation of organic molecules as envisaged by Oparin and Haldane.