21 



organisms to generate highly complex compounds, 

 such as protein, indicates their relationship to the 

 organisms recognized by the biologist. It can be 

 contended that these alleged early forms do not 

 possess many of the characteristics of organisms, as 

 for instance the power of reproduction. As, how- 

 ever, they are derived directly from inorganic ma- 

 terial, there is scarcely any necessity for the ability 

 of reproduction. They are generated directly from 

 the simple compounds of rocks, soils, water and the 

 atmosphere. Their requirements and equipment are, 

 therefore, not always identical with those of the or- 

 ganisms recognized by the scientist, (p. 37.) 



The experimental methods of Francis, unlike those of 

 Herrera, did not lead to the production of starches : 



I have no idea as to what intermediate products 

 were formed during the combinations leading to the 

 eventual generation of protein. Apparently no 

 starch was present in the preparations tested for 

 protein with iodine as its presence would have been 

 indicated by the familiar blue color, (p. 34.) 



The experiment showing that protein bodies are 

 formed when the solution with the suspended iron 

 wire was kept in darkness shows conclusively that 

 the production of protein is independent of light. 

 This experiment and the fact that the primitive ni- 

 trite and nitrate bacteria assimilate the carbon diox- 

 ide of the air in darkness suggest that this process, 

 known as chemosynthesis, is more fundamental than 

 the photosynthesis effected by green plants. In the 

 vital processes functioning at the earth's surface, 

 the energy of sunlight (photochemical energy) may. 

 displace, to some extent, the energy of mineral com- 

 pounds in a reduced state, especially as mineral com- 

 pounds are more highly oxidized towards the sur- 

 face than lower down towards the unaltered rocks, 

 (p. 37.) 



With only carbon dioxide as the raw material, and in 

 the absence of chlorophyll, the formation of starches 



