LIFE, CARBON'S OUTSTANDING PROPERTY 97 



evolved into living organisms. Each eoazervate has not 

 only an individual structure of its own, Oparin assumes, 

 but it is also capable of resorbing matter; hence it grows 

 and finally multiplies by cell division. Of course for this 

 absorption and growth to occur it is necessary to assume 

 the formation of enzymes in these "eoazervate" droplets. 

 The question of how the enzymes were formed remains un- 

 answered in Oparin' s theory. 



Obviously, the essential feature of Oparin's hypothesis is 

 that structural units with a remote resemblance to living 

 organisms were first formed from the organic matter of the 

 early ocean and that subsequently enzymes formed in them 

 so as to enable them to assimilate substances from their 

 environment. In this manner some of the "coazervates" 

 eventually developed into living organisms. 



Our opinion, on the contrary, was that the life-producing 

 enzymes were the first to appear, through the action of 

 electric discharges, without any structure around them — as 

 self-regenerating enzymes. Later only, a structure was 

 built up around them, as we assumed. The entire dif- 

 ference between the two opposing views is therefore only 

 concerned with the order of the essential events which pre- 

 ceded the appearance of life. 



Differences of opinion are bound to occur when such ob- 

 scure problems as the origin of life are under discussion. In 

 general, experience frequently shows that opposing views 

 are actually compatible with each other. Perhaps we may 

 assume that this is also the case here. Why should not 

 some living organisms have been formed according to 

 Oparin's assumption and others according to our hypothe- 

 sis? Nature is never tied down to any definite scheme. 

 Concerning the origin of life, it would seem justified to ac- 

 cept not only two divergent views but also invite other in- 

 vestigators to try to find still further hypotheses on a ra- 

 tional basis. 



