panspermia
/panˈspəːmɪə
/noun [mass noun]
The theory that life on the earth originated from microorganisms or chemical precursors of life present in outer space and able to initiate life on reaching a suitable environment.A theory known as panspermia suggests that organic precursors to life arrived to Earth with meteors....
- Comets play a crucial role in our theory of panspermia because it's comets that are responsible for replicating, for multiplying cosmic bacteria in their interiors and for transferring these bacteria cells from one location to another.
- The concept of interstellar panspermia has been a philosophical luxury; it may soon become a necessity if constraints of evolutionary theory continue to conspire against an origin of life in our solar system.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from Greek, from panspermos 'containing all kinds of seed'.