Experiments in 50-s and after explained it.

Take inorganic stuff (N2, H2O, CO2, NH3, CO, NaCl, S, P, etc) place into a test tube and subject to light, sparks,increase/decrease in temperature, acidity, etc - rather soon you'll have lipids, sugars, aminoacids, and even aminoacid chains, proteins, primitive sub-cell and pre-cell structures, etc.

Viruses are so primitive, that they probably originated as soon as their first hosts emerged - in parallel with first bacteria and cell structures. May be even earlier - when chains of primitive RNA/DNA became reasonably long to adapt parasite RNA/DNA.

Remember, at room temperature each atom collides with other atoms about 10^13 times per second - plenty of chances to try numerous combinations and to create complex compounds (especially in diverse and changing environment).

• Cosmos and the spark chamber of life - admin - April 2, 2001 - 20:50 UTC