CONTENTS
PREFACE
CHAPTER 1. ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE CELL
1.1. The Cell — Life Link
1.2. Origin of Life. Early Ideas
1.3. Formation of Scientific Consepts on the Origin of Life
1.4. Attempts for Abiogenic Synthesis of Organic Compounds
1.5. The “Panspermia” Hypothesis
1.6. Evolution of the Cell
Pre-Cell Evolution
Can Proteins Self-Reproduce?
Is the Genetic Code Universal and Invariable?
Metabolism
1.7. Tracing Life on the Earth
1.8. Are We Alone in the Universe?
CHAPTER 2. THE CELL — BASIC STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL BIOLOGICAL SYSTEM
2.1. Discovery of the Cell and First Notions of Its Essence and Structure
2.2. Cell Theory
2.3. Later Concepts on the Structural Organization of the Cell.
Discovery of Some Its Organelles
2.4. Discovery of the Discrete Factors of Heredity. The Experiments
of Gregor Mendel
Monohybrid Crossing
Dihybrid Crossing
Intermediary Inheritance of the Features
Polyhybrid Crossing
2.5. Discovery of Nuclein and Elucidation of the Biological Role of
Nucleic Acids
2.6. Chromosome Theory of the Heredity and Organization of the
Genome
2.7. Modern Concepts About the Structure, Functions and Self-Reproduction of Cells
Proteins
Nucleic Acids
The Watson and Crick Model
Some Deviations from the Watson and Crick Model
Carbohydrates