CONTENTS 

 CHAPTER I 



PAGE 



FITNESS 1 



I. Purpose and Order 1 



II. Fitness 4 



III. The Environment 8 



A. Matter 8 



B. Energy 15 



C. Space and Time 19 



IV. The Organism 21 



A. Metabolism 24 



B. Organic Chemistry 28 



C. The Characteristics of Life .... 30 



V. The Problem 36 



CHAPTER II 



THE ENVIRONMENT 38 



I. Astronomy 38 



II. Possible Environments 49 



III. Geophysics 52 



IV. The Atmosphere 55 



V. General Cosmographical Conclusions . . 60 



VI. The Primary Constituents of the Environ- 

 ment 61 



VII. The Ultimate Problem 63 



VIII. The Method of Solution 67 



xiii 



