panspermia
Life from space
Panspermia is the hypothesis that life exists throughout the universe and spreads via meteorites, asteroids, or cosmic dust carrying microbial organisms or their precursors.
The theory suggests Earth may have been seeded with life from elsewhere rather than generating it independently.
Panspermia doesn't explain how life originated—just how it might travel.
Quest for cosmic signals
- exobiologyStudy of cosmic life
- extraterrestrial lifeOrganisms existing beyond Earth
- MarsRed planet, war deity
- EuropaGalilean moon with subsurface ocean
Enceladus · amino acids · chirality · biosafety · habitability · Goldilocks zone
Organisms surviving extreme conditions
- microorganismsMicroscopic living entities
- sporesAsexual reproductive bodies
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- tardigradesMicroscopic invertebrates, extremely resilient
dormancy · survival · desiccation · endospores · cryopreservation · viable · hardy · resilient
Between celestial bodies
- meteoritesExtraterrestrial rocks on Earth
- cometsIcy bodies orbiting stars
- asteroidsSmall solar orbiters
- cosmic dustMicroscopic particles pervading space
nebulae · space · exoplanets · solar system · galactic · interplanetary · debris · impacts
Life from inanimate matter
- biogenesisLife originates from life
- primordialExisting from the start
- prebioticNutrient for gut bacteria
- genesisPoint of creation
emergence · ancestral · progenitor · seeding · inoculation · fertilization · colonization
Testable proposed explanation
- speculationUnproven theorizing or risky investment
- controversialCausing public dispute
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- plausibilitySeeming likely true
SETI
Quest for cosmic signals
- exobiologyStudy of cosmic life
- extraterrestrial lifeOrganisms existing beyond Earth
- MarsRed planet, war deity
Europa · Enceladus · amino acids · chirality · biosafety · habitability · Goldilocks zone
extremophiles
Organisms surviving extreme conditions
- microorganismsMicroscopic living entities
- sporesAsexual reproductive bodies
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
tardigrades · dormancy · survival · desiccation · endospores · cryopreservation · viable · hardy · resilient · microbial
interstellar
Between celestial bodies
- meteoritesExtraterrestrial rocks on Earth
- cometsIcy bodies orbiting stars
- asteroidsSmall solar orbiters
cosmic dust · nebulae · space · exoplanets · solar system · galactic · interplanetary · debris · impacts · trajectories
abiogenesis
Life from inanimate matter
- biogenesisLife originates from life
- primordialExisting from the start
- prebioticNutrient for gut bacteria
genesis · emergence · ancestral · progenitor · seeding · inoculation · fertilization · colonization
hypothesis
Testable proposed explanation
- speculationUnproven theorizing or risky investment
- controversialCausing public dispute
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
pan, sperm, spermatogenesis, spermatozoa, spermatic, spermicidal