Letter 4: The First Living Things (In English) | Letters From a Father to His Daughter

 

In this letter, Nehru explains how life began on Earth, a topic that's challenging but fascinating. He begins by discussing what defines life, noting that humans, animals, and plants are all living beings. Some life forms, like certain plants and animals, blur the line between animal and plant, making it hard to classify them. He mentions the scientist Sir Jagadish Bose, who believed even stones might have life, though this is difficult to prove. Nehru then explores how life likely started after the Earth cooled down. The first living things were probably simple, jelly-like organisms without bones or shells, which lived in the sea. These primitive life forms multiplied by dividing themselves in two, and while they left no fossils, similar jelly-like organisms still exist today. As time passed, more complex animals like shellfish, crabs, and worms appeared, followed by fishes and other creatures with hard shells or bones. Nehru explains how fossils of these creatures have been preserved in rocks, which scientists use to understand Earth's early life forms. He concludes by promising to explain in future letters how these simple animals evolved into more complex beings.