WHA T IS LIFE 



The author's answer to the question "What is 

 Life?" purports to be based on the facts of modern 

 atomic physics. The first query that will naturally 

 occur to the serious reader is in regard to the author's 

 qualifications in the field of physics. To this I 

 would say that her discussion of modern atomic 

 physics is accurate, well balanced and worth read- 

 ing for its own sake. The second query in the 

 reader's mind will refer to her knowledge of biologi- 

 cal, or life, processes. This I am not qualified to 

 answer, but I can testify to having read her ex- 

 position of such matters with much interest and 

 admiration of her evident knowledge of this field. 



The answer to the question "What is Life.^" is 

 essentially found in the hypothesis that protons and 

 electrons, in addition to forming by their various 

 known combinations the ninety -two kinds of atoms, 

 are also able to unite in combinations of a type as 

 yet undiscovered and which are the "active" or 

 essential ingredients of living matter. These so- 

 called "Z" elements combine in specific ways with 

 the ordinary known chemical elements to form 

 living matter. Living matter is thus a "dual" 

 system, whose basic constituents are protons and 

 electrons. By analogies, reasoning or by further 

 hypotheses, various life phenomena are then inter- 

 preted by this "dual" structure. 



