Definition of the word abiotic

The term "abiotic" was coined by the Russian microbiologist Sergei Winogradsky in 1925 to describe substances that do not contain or require organic molecules, such as nucleic acids or proteins, to support life. The word "abiotic" comes from the Greek word "abiogene," which means "not derived from life." In chemistry, an "abiotic" substances refers to chemical processes that do not involve living organisms, such as the formation of minerals in geology, the degradation of organic matter in soil, or the synthesis of amino acids by lightning in the atmosphere. The concept of abiogenesis, which proposes that life on Earth originated spontaneously from non-living matter, is also related to the definition of abiotic. Proponents of abiogenesis accept that life may have emerged from abiotic processes, while opponents argue that the complexity and organization of living systems cannot be explained by purely chemical reactions. Overall, the word "abiotic" refers to non-living or lifeless entities or processes, which serves as a useful contrast to the term "biotic," which describes entities that are associated with living organisms, such as organic matter, biogeochemical cycles, and symbiosis.