Essential Idea:
There is an unbroken chain of life from the first cells
on Earth to all cells in organisms alive today
Understandings:
- Cells can only be formed by division of pre-existing cells
- The first cells must have arisen from non-living material
- The origin of eukaryotic cells can be explained by the endosymbiotic theory
Applications:
- Evidence from Pasteur’s experiments that spontaneous generation of cells and organisms does not now occur on Earth