LIFE, CARBON'S OUTSTANDING PROPERTY 93 



the largest planet of our solar system, with its low surface 

 temperature of - 135°C, is surrounded by an atmosphere of 

 methane (CH 4 ), the simplest hydrocarbon, according to the 

 latest investigations. Besides, ammonia (NH 3 ) is contained 

 in its atmosphere. The same is true for the other large 

 planets. Enormous oceans consisting of the higher hydro- 

 carbons, like ethylene, etc., which are liquid at -135°C, 

 have been traced on these planets. Similarly a wholesale 

 formation of hydrocarbons might have occurred on our 

 earth, as Oparin states. 



Later with the continually dropping surface temperature 

 other carbon compounds were formed, such as alcohols 

 sugars and organic acids through interaction chemically with 

 water vapor. Besides water vapor, the atmosphere of the 

 earliest earth contained large amounts of ammonia (NH 3 ) 

 and this also interacted with the primary carbon compounds 

 to form nitrogenous carbon compounds, amino-acids the pro- 

 genitors of proteins, the most important materials contained 

 in living organisms. According to these plausible assump- 

 tions of Oparin, a great variety and quantity of different 

 lifeless organic materials must have been present by the 

 time our planet cooled to the point where water in liquid 

 form appeared on its surface. 



We have attempted to explain the formation of lifeless 

 organic matter before life itself was produced by the action 

 of electrical discharges, but it must be admitted that 

 Oparin's suggestions are much more plausible explanations 

 of the formation of organic matter in enormous quantities, 

 such as the large deposits of hydrocarbons as are now found 

 in the form of mineral oil. Concerning the natural mineral 

 oil deposits existing at present on the earth, some authori- 

 ties believe that these have been formed in the same manner 

 as postulated by Oparin, namely, from water and metal- 

 carbides. 



Electric discharges might well be considered, however, as 



