204 THE ORIGIN OF LIFE 



have discussed the weakness of Professor Japp's 

 argument. The chances are that living matter, if 

 it started from some few centres, would not be equally 

 divided between right-handed and left-handed forms, 

 but that one or other of these forms preponderated, 

 and if it started from one source alone it must have 

 been either right-handed or left-handed. Hence, as 

 FitzGerald remarks, the facts adduced only show 

 that life, or rather what we understand here as 

 organic life, originated from a small number of 

 centres, and possibly only one. 



All these considerations are, we think, surmounted 

 by attributing to that substance which we call bio- 

 gen a particular twisted structure. The probability 

 is that of these asymmetric twisted atoms of biogen, 

 the numbers of those which are right-handed and 

 left-handed would not be exactly equal, and one 

 or the other would preponderate. 



Whatever aspect we may take of the problem 

 of the origin of life, it seems to us that that 

 problem does resolve itself, not merely into that of 

 the origin of asymmetric atoms, but also of the 

 origin of that substance which in the course of 

 time has assumed a simple and symmetric form. 



On Structural Organic Synthesis. 



The synthesis of natural life, of that phenomenon 

 which we see taking place around us in the form 

 of living proteid, has, as we find, hitherto eluded our 

 grasp. We may say this with all due deference to 



