XVI CONTENTS 



Chapter III 



ATTEMPTS AT A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO 

 THE PROBLEM OF THE ORIGIN OF LIFE 



The mechanistic concept of the self-formation of living 



things ... ... ... ... ... ... 73 



The views of Haeckel and Pfliiger ... ... ... 77 



Attempts to construct ' models of living organisms ' ... 86 



The evolutionary theory of the origin of life ... ... gs> 



Chapter IV 



THE ORIGINAL FORMATION OF THE 

 SIMPLER ORGANIC SUBSTANCES 



The question of the original formation of organic sub- 

 stances ... ... ... ... ... ... 107 



The distribution of organic substances (hydrocarbons) on 



different heavenly bodies ... ... ... ... 115 



Geological finds of hydrocarbons formed abiogenically on 



the Earth ... ... ... ... ... 125 



Theory of the origin of the Earth ... ... ... 131 



Ways in which organic compounds could have arisen 



during the formation of the Earth ... ... 136 



Chapter V 



ABIOGENIC ORGANIC CHEMICAL EVOLUTION 

 OF CARBON COMPOUNDS 



Thermodynamics and kinetics of the transformation of the 

 simplest hydrocarbons in the lithosphere, atmosphere 

 and hydrosphere of the Earth ... ... ... 153 



Reducing conditions ... ... ... ... ... 158 



