panspermia

English

Etymology

From panspermy +‎ -ia.

Noun

panspermia (uncountable)

  1. (biology) The hypothesis that microorganisms may transmit life from outer space to habitable bodies; or the process of such transmission.
    • 2020, Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life, page 88:
      Lederberg's ideas were tinged with Cold War paranoia. In his hands, panspermia came to resemble horizontal gene transfer on a cosmic scale.

Derived terms

Translations

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