ScienceAugust 30, 2026
nonbiological
non-BY-oh-LOJ-ih-kul
Definition
Pertaining to chemical or physical processes that occur without the presence or involvement of living organisms.
Etymology
The word is formed by adding the prefix 'non-' (meaning not) to 'biological,' which comes from the Greek 'bios' (life) and 'logia' (study of).
In the news
In this article, the word distinguishes between organic compounds that can form through natural chemical reactions in space or within planets and those specifically produced by life.
Enceladus looks nothing like a habitable world: it is a 310-mile-wide ice moon with a surface near −200°C. Yet an ocean hidden beneath that ice is spraying water, salts, phosphorus and organic chemistry directly into space—allowing a passing spacecraft to s
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com