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Biology · Doctrine of the Biosphere

Doctrine of the Biosphere

bios — life, sphera — sphere

The biosphere is the global envelope of the Earth, which is not merely inhabited by living organisms, but completely formed by their activity. According to V.I. Vernadsky's teaching, the totality of all organisms acts as the primary force transforming the planet.

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Scale of influenceOrganisms have continuously shaped the modern appearance of the Earth over the past 3 billion years.
Author of the termJ.B. Lamarck was the first to propose the term "biosphere" in 1802.
Living matterThe unified totality of all living organisms that transforms the inorganic environment.
System scaleThe biosphere is a complex, multi-level system on a planetary scale.
4 min readFor medical studentsUpdated 09/24/2026
Material prepared by WhiteCoat Pro editorial team based on platform study guidesReviewed by medical editor: Aulov A. A., general practitioner · 09/24/2026

History of the doctrine's formation

The concept of the "biosphere" derives from the Latin words bios (life) and sphera (sphere). The term was first introduced into scientific use in 1802 by the French naturalist J.B. Lamarck. Even then, the scientist noted the inseparable connection and interaction of living organisms with the global geological processes of the planet.

However, a comprehensive, structural doctrine of the biosphere was developed only in the 1920s by the outstanding thinker and scientist V.I. Vernadsky. He characterized the biosphere as an incredibly complex, multi-level system. The main postulate of his doctrine is that this envelope of the Earth was created and continues to be transformed by living organisms — both those that existed in the distant geological past and those living today.

The concept of living matter and the role of photosynthesis

The foundation of Vernadsky's theory is the concept of living matter. This term refers to the unified totality of all living organisms on the planet. It is the influence of this mass on the inorganic (abiotic) environment that determines the modern appearance of the Earth, which has been shaped over the past 3 billion years.

A special place in the doctrine is assigned to photosynthesis. The emergence of this process was a decisive moment in the evolution of the biosphere. Photosynthetic organisms, which include green plants and cyanobacteria, are capable of capturing solar energy and converting it into complex organic substances. Thanks to this unique function, living creatures have become crucial intermediaries between the Earth's biosphere and space, ensuring the influx of cosmic energy into the planetary cycle.

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Results of living matter activity

The multi-billion-year activity of organisms has left a colossal trace in all the envelopes of the Earth. The geological and chemical results of this activity are diverse:

  1. Change in the atmospheric gas composition: Virtually all oxygen present in the modern atmosphere is a byproduct of photosynthesis. The accumulation of oxygen in the upper layers led to the formation of the ozone layer, which acts as a global shield protecting life from harsh UV rays.
  2. Transformation of the hydrosphere and lithosphere: Living matter determined the chemical composition of natural waters and formed the surface soil envelope — the pedosphere.
  3. Accumulation of mineral resources: The presence of fossil fuel deposits (such as oil, natural gas, and coal) is a direct result of the conservation of undecomposed remains of ancient organisms.
  4. Formation of rocks and ores: Massive strata of biogenic sedimentary rocks, including chalk and biogenic limestones, represent the skeletons of marine inhabitants that settled to the bottoms of ancient oceans. In addition, deposits of many metal ores (iron, sulfur, manganese) were created as a result of the specific life activity of ancient chemoautotrophic bacteria.

Briefly: answers to topical questions

What functions does living matter perform in the biosphere?

Living matter performs the functions of capturing and accumulating energy, as well as involving abiotic matter in biogeochemical cycles. This induces the biogenic migration of atoms and transforms the inorganic environment. The results of living organisms' activity are:

  • Atmosphere formation — release of oxygen during photosynthesis and creation of the ozone layer.
  • Pedosphere formation — creation of the Earth's soil envelope.
  • Hydrosphere modification — influence on the chemical composition of natural waters.
  • Fossil formation — creation of fuel deposits (oil, gas, coal), sedimentary rocks (chalk, biogenic limestones), and ores (iron, sulfur, manganese).

Which gases of the modern atmosphere are of biogenic origin?

Oxygen, as well as ozone formed from it, are of biogenic origin in the modern atmosphere. Almost all atmospheric oxygen is a product of the activity of photosynthetic organisms (green plants and cyanobacteria) that convert solar energy. Subsequently, this oxygen forms the ozone layer in the upper atmospheric layers, protecting living organisms from the detrimental effects of ultraviolet rays.

How to memorize

To memorize the biosphere's contribution to geology: "The atmosphere breathes ($O_2$ and ozone), water changes its taste, the soil (pedosphere) feeds, and the depths store reserves (coal, chalk, ores)" — this covers all four environments transformed by organisms.

Class and exam questions

What is the difference between Lamarck's and Vernadsky's contributions to the doctrine of the biosphere?

J.B. Lamarck in 1802 merely proposed the term "biosphere" itself and noted the influence of life on geology. V.I. Vernadsky, however, in the 1920s created a cohesive scientific doctrine, describing the biosphere in detail as a system and introducing the concept of "living matter".

What did Vernadsky call "living matter"?

Living matter is the total mass of all living organisms on Earth, considered as a single entity, which acts as the main force altering the planet's inorganic environment.

How did organisms affect the Earth's atmosphere?

Due to the photosynthesis of green plants and cyanobacteria, the atmosphere became saturated with oxygen, from which a protective ozone layer subsequently formed in the upper layers.

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What else to study on this topic

  • Mechanisms of pedosphere formation and the role of microorganisms in soil formation
  • Specifics of chemoautotrophic bacteria activity in the formation of manganese and iron ores
  • Differences in the accumulation processes of biogenic limestones and the formation of fossil fuels
  • Interaction of inorganic environmental components with living matter at various stages of biosphere development

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Other topics in the section "Doctrine of the Biosphere"

Earth's envelopesEvolution of the biosphereNutrient cycles in the biosphere
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