The Origin of Life on the Earth

Held at Moscow, 19-24 August 1957

A. I. Oparin, A. E. Braunshteĭn, A. G. Pasynskiĭ, A. I. Oparin, A. E. Braunshteĭn, A. G. Pasynskiĭ

• Publisher: Pergamon
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN:
  9781483197371
• eBook ISBN:
  9781483222400
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Biology
• Index: Biological Sciences

The Origin of Life on the Earth covers the proceedings of the First International Symposium of The Origin of Life on the Earth, held at Moscow on August 19-24, 1957. This symposium brings together numerous scientific studies on the evolutionary principles and the different stages in the evolutionary development of matter. This book is organized into seven parts encompassing 60 chapters. The first parts discuss evidence that on the formation of hydrocarbons and their derivatives on the surface of the Earth even before the emergence of life. The subsequent parts are devoted to the many asymmetrical syntheses under the influence of circularly-polarized ultraviolet light, by catalytic reactions occurring on the surface of quartz crystals, and spontaneously by slow crystallization from solutions. These topics are followed by reviews on the possible means of abiogenic formation of amino acids, porphyrins, protein-like polymers, polynucleotides and other high-molecular organic compounds. Considerable chapters explore the complete possibility of the primary formation of these compounds on the surface of the Earth even before life was present on it. Other general topics covered include nucleic acids, nucleoproteins and viruses. The last part considers general biochemical problems connected with the further development of metabolism. This book will be of value to astronomers, physicists, geologists, chemists, and biologists.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• The Origin of Life on the Earth
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Introductory Note from the International Union of Biochemistry
• Editors' Preface
• Introductory Address
• Discours d'ouverture
• Part I: Primary Formation of Primitive Organic Compounds on the Earth
• Part II: The Transformation of Primary Organic Compounds on the Earth
• Part III: The Origin of Proteins, Nucleoproteins and Enzymes
• Part IV: The Origin of Proteins, Nucleoproteins and Enzymes
• Part V: The Origin of Structure and Metabolism
• Part VI: The Evolution of Metabolism
• Part VII: The Evolution of Metabolism (continued)
• Author Index
• Subject Index