Final answer:
Biologists most commonly believe life arose in the ocean, with hydrothermal vents being a likely birthplace due to their high temperatures and rich chemical environments conducive to early microorganisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Among the places where biologists think life might have first arisen on Earth, the most likely is the ocean, specifically in hydrothermal vents. These environments provided the high temperatures and rich chemical environments that could have fostered the earliest forms of life, such as microorganisms. The alternative hypotheses about life originating on Mars and being 'seeded' to Earth via meteorites remains fascinating, but as of now, there is no concrete evidence to support this theory.