CONTENTS Xvii 



Sources of energy ... ... ... ... ... 161 



The origin of carbohydrates, lipids, porphyrins, amino 

 acids, nucleotides, polynucleotides and protein-like 

 polypeptides ... ... ... ... ... 189 



Chapter VI 



THE STRUCTURE AND BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS 



OF PROTEINS AND NUCLEIC ACIDS AND 



THE PROBLEM OF THEIR ORIGIN 



Chemical structure and biological functions of polypeptides 



and proteins ... ... ... ... ... 229 



The amino acid composition and sequence in the structure 



of the macromolecules of proteins ... ... ... 236 



Hormones, enzymes, antibiotics and antigens ... ... 243 



The biosynthesis of proteins ... ... ... ... 259 



Chapter VII 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC 



MULTIMOLECULAR SYSTEMS: THEIR 



ORGANISATION IN SPACE AND 



IN TIME 



Simple and complex coacervates ... ... ... goi 



The structure and properties of complex coacervate drops 307 



Points of similarity between complex coacervates and 



protoplasm ... ... ... ... ... si 1 



Stationary open systems ... ... ... ... 321 



The thermodynamics and kinetics of open systems ... 323 



The initial systems from which living things arose ... 335 



