(N/A) The theory of abiogenesis,also known as spontaneous generation,suggests that life originated from non-living organic matter through a process of chemical evolution.
In $1953$,Stanley Miller and Harold Urey performed an experiment to demonstrate that ultraviolet radiations or electrical discharges,or a combination of these,can produce complex organic compounds from a mixture of $CH_4$,$NH_3$,$H_2$,and water vapour $(H_2O)$ at $800^{\circ}C$.
Electric discharge was created in a closed flask containing $CH_4$,$NH_3$,and $H_2$ in the ratio $2:1:2$. The conditions were set to mimic the primitive atmosphere in the laboratory.
Miller observed the formation of amino acids. Similar experiments by other scientists also showed the presence of complex molecules like sugars,pigments,nitrogen bases,and fats in the flask.
Thus,the Miller-Urey experiment provided experimental support for the theory of chemical evolution,which is a modern interpretation of abiogenesis. Analysis of meteorite content also revealed similar compounds,indicating that similar processes might be occurring elsewhere in space. With these evidences,the concept of chemical evolution became widely accepted.