Life as defined by Knoll, a professor of biology at Harvard, is a system in which proteins and nucleic acids interact in ways that allow the structure to grow and reproduce ( 2004). Or in other words, life can be described as having these six characteristics; i) have carbon as a driving force, essential for growth and reproduction and must also have the ability to convert inorganic sources such as carbon dioxide into organic molecules, in the case of hetrotrophs. ii) metabolism, catalysis-based reactions that occur in a body or system. iii) replication, as the starting point of inheritance. A life must be able to transmit its structural or functional codes to the next generation. iv) cellular compartmentalization, which makes life distinguishable from the environment. v) energy as a source of energy. Going back to the early years of life, this comes from environmental imbalances, which push things forward. vi) excretion, waste disposal must be continuous to prevent accumulation and ensure forward momentum. The first paleontological evidence of life on earth dates back to 3.2 million years ago, when microbes were discovered in the Transvaal rock formation (Grasse PP, 1977). These organisms may have used amino acids or perhaps proteins contained in marine sediments. In addition to this, photosynthetic organisms, mainly known as cyanobacteria, have been found, a blue-green algae fossilized in the youngest (2.3 billion years old) stromatolite near the shores of Lake Superior in Canada. The presence of specially structured cells, with nuclei and chromosomes (which contain DNA) in these algae certainly shows similarities with all life today. So, to suggest early life forms, one must imagine...... middle of paper ......ssisive sulfide deposit. Nature, 405(6787), p.676-679.21. Nick Lane, (2009) The ten great inventions of evolution. London: WW Norton22. Ludwig, K.A., et al. 2005. U/Th geochronology of carbonate chimneys in the Lost City hydrothermal field. Eos Trans. AGU 86, V51B–1487.23. Baaske, P. et al., 2007. Extreme accumulation of nucleotides in simulated hydrothermal pore systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(22), p.9346-9351.24. Martin, W. et al., 2008. Hydrothermal vents and the origin of life. Nature reviews. Microbiology, 6(11), p.805-814.25. Bucaille, M., 1976. What is the origin of man; The answers of science and the Holy Scriptures. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Dar Al Wahi Publication.26. Oparine., 1967. The current state of the problem of the origin of life and its future prospects. Biogenesis, p. 19.