What was the first life form and why was it so important?

Answer 1

Microbes are so commonplace. ever since their discovery, many scientists (back before the Scientific Method they called themselves Natural Philosophers) had the courage to conjecture there were microbes everywhere, even other planets and in outer space, hitching rides inside comets, meteors, and asteroids. Even the ancient Greek philosophers (like Anexagoras) posited that life had drifted down from the heavens, and our modern scientific research seems to bear this out, notwithstanding life COULD have originated here on earth. Our view of the cosmos is now far broader; we know many (if not most) stars have planets, and many (if not most) actually have partners that are qualified stars. Also, amino acids and other biochemicals have been discovered within the "atmospheres" of stars and in interstellar dust clouds. In the awareness that all heavy elements were created by supernovae exploding and scattering their ashes (even gold and uranium), we now are somewhat humbled, dispelling our former egocentric viewpoint that we were the center of all creation, although certain narrowminded religious sects yet continue to teach such. We have a lot to learn, and since mainstream scientists doggedly defend whatever theories they learned in school, a whole new generation of scientists must search for the truth, and they must be unafraid to compare their notes with other sources. Some traditions are quite bigoted and egotistic, but others may be found to be right on the money. I posit, Amexagoras, for instance, and the Babylonian Enuma Elish, another example.