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Definition

noun

(1) The process in which life forms arise from similar life forms.

(2) It asserts that living things can only be produced by another living thing, and not by a non-living thing.

Supplement

It is now a common notion that any living thing can only come from another living thing, and no cellular life has ever been observed to arise from non-living matter. For example, a spider lays eggs that will develop into spiders.

Word origin: from (Greek) bios: life + (Greek) genesis: origin, source.
Related forms: biogenetic (adjective), biogenous (adjective).
Related phrases: Law of Biogenesis.
Synonym: biogeny.
Compare: abiogenesis, spontaneous generation.