176 Synthesis by Sunlight in Relationship to the Origin of Life. 



Conclusions. 



Organic matter (aldehyde) has been synthesised from inorganic colloidal 

 uranic and ferric hydroxides in very dilute solution. These colloids act as 

 catalysts for light energy, converting it into chemical energy in a reduction 

 process similar to the first stage of synthesis of organic from inorganic 

 substances in the green plant by the agency of chlorophyll. 



Such a synthesis occurring in nature probably forms the first step in the 

 origin of life. For chlorophyll and protoplasm are substances of far too 

 complex chemical constitution to be regarded as the first step in the evolution 

 of the organic from the inorganic. 



Without the presence of organic material, when life was arising in the 

 world, any continuance of life would, however, be impossible. 



The process of evolution of simple organic substances having once begun, 

 as now experimentally demonstrated, substances of more and more complex 

 organic nature would arise from these with additional uptake of energy. 

 Later, organic colloids would be formed, possessing meta-stable properties, 

 and these would begin to show the properties possessed by living matter 

 of balanced equilibrium, and up-and-down energy transformations following 

 variations in environment. 



There can be little question that such energy changes as are above described 

 occur at present, and are leading alwaj's to fresh evolutions of more complex 

 organic substances, and so towards life, and equally is it true that they must 

 occur on any planet containing the necessary elements for the evolution of 

 inorganic colloids and exposed to light energy under suitable conditions of 

 environment. 



