Part 4/8:
Understanding how life arose on Earth is a complicated endeavor, primarily because it is not simply a random occurrence of complex systems. Life as we understand it necessitates several essential components: replication, compartmentalization, and metabolism. Replication requires genetic constructs, which we associate with DNA. Compartmentalization demands that cells possess walls to distinguish themselves from their environment. Metabolism, in turn, requires a source of low-entropy energy to fuel processes, with the byproduct being higher-entropy forms expelled into the surroundings.