Question:

The hypothesis of the "Hot Dilute Soup" (Prebiotic Soup) regarding the origin of life was proposed by:

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Remember the contributions:
- Oparin: Coacervates and chemical evolution theory.
- Haldane: Hot Dilute Soup concept.
- Urey & Miller: Experimental validation of the Oparin-Haldane theory in 1953.
Updated On: Jun 3, 2026
  • Urey
  • Haldane
  • Oparin
  • Darwin
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks for the name of the scientist who proposed the hypothesis of the "Hot Dilute Soup" (also known as the prebiotic soup or primordial soup) regarding the origin of life on primitive Earth.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:


• The theory of chemical evolution, proposed independently by Aleksandr Oparin and J.B.S. Haldane in the 1920s, suggests that life arose from non-living organic molecules through a slow process of chemical synthesis.

• J.B.S. Haldane, a British-Indian scientist, proposed in 1929 that the primitive oceans of Earth served as a vast chemical laboratory powered by solar ultraviolet radiation.

• He suggested that the early atmosphere of Earth was reducing (containing methane, ammonia, water vapor, but lacking free oxygen).

• Under these conditions, simple organic compounds were synthesized and accumulated in the primitive oceans. Since there were no living organisms to consume them and no free oxygen to oxidize them, these molecules persisted and grew in concentration.

• Haldane referred to this vast body of warm water containing accumulated simple organic monomers as a "hot dilute soup" or "primordial soup."

• This soup became the environment in which the first simple organic polymers and proto-cells developed.

• Oparin, while agreeing with the general idea of chemical evolution, focused on the formation of coacervates (colloidal droplets), whereas Haldane coined and described the specific concept of the "hot dilute soup."

Step 3: Final Answer:

The hypothesis of the "Hot Dilute Soup" was proposed by Haldane.
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