16 THE MECHANISTIC THEORY OF LIFE 



same physical and chemical environment. 

 This being so, the only possible result is that 

 the offspring resembles the parent. 



The actual origin of living organisms from 

 inorganic matter is still wrapt in mystery. 

 We have not yet succeeded in producing in 

 the laboratory anything really resembling any 

 known living organism. This, however, is 

 not to be wondered at, since all the organisms 

 which we at present recognise as such are 

 now known to be descended through count 

 less generations from their first progenitors. 

 Throughout these countless generations 

 natural selection has continuously acted, 

 gradually evolving a complexity of structure 

 which we can never hope to imitate by 

 laboratory experiments. 



It is possible, nevertheless, to imagine 

 how life may have originated. We can now 

 form in the laboratory carbon compounds 

 with protein characters which approach in 

 some degree in complexity to the natural 

 protein compounds found in protoplasm ; 

 and we may assume that the first step to 

 wards the origin of life was the formation by 

 natural means of some variety of protein 



