Abstract
THIS book falls into three distinct parts: the history of ideas on the origin of life, geochemistry, and the author's picture of a possible mode of development of organisms. The historical part is reasonably complete and is suitably garnished with quotations from Engels, but it is spoilt by occasional lapses of which it is very unlikely that Engels or his immediate followers would have been guilty. A reader of the book will realize that the following sentence is no more ridiculous when taken out of its context than it was when in it. “No matter how minute the ultra-microbes are, if they are living organisms they must be endowed with a definite and complex organisation which makes it possible for them to perform a number of vital functions”.
The Origin of Life:
By A. I. Oparin. Translation, with Annotations, by Prof. Sergius Morgulis. Pp. x + 270. (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1938.) 8s. 6d. net.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
P., N. The Origin of Life. Nature 142, 412–413 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1038/142412a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/142412a0
- Springer Nature Limited