development provoked the greatest interest. Numerous studies have shown
that it is not just an organized drop of mucous matter and the elucidation of
its structure, organization, chemical composition, and emergence would
provide a clue to the understanding the origin of life. The cell nucleus and
division of the cells have been discovered and profound studies on proteins
and nucleic acids have been performed.
The first attempt to create a scientific view on the origin of life was
made by the well-known Russian biochemist A. I. Oparin in his book “The
Origin of Life” published in 1924. After that he elaborated his concept into a
trim and well-grounded biochemical theory in a number of other books and
articles (Oparin, 1936—74).
Making a good use of data and achievements of the different branches of
science of his time Oparin has directed the search for the solution of the
problem to World Ocean (hydrosphere), the “primeval bouillon” and
“coacervates” which in his opinion have served as a cradle for the abiogenic
evolution having led to the emergence of a qualitatively new form of matter —
the living matter. According to him hydrocarbon compounds formed in suitable
environment from the available gases in the primitive atmosphere — methane
(CH4), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen (H2) and water vapours were the initiators of
chemical evolution. Ultraviolet irradiation of the Sun (which in the absence of
the ozone layer has been reaching the earth surface unhindered and has
been quite abundant), radioactive emissions, the electrical discharges in the
atmosphere, the high temperature in the volcanic eruptions, etc. have supplied
the energy needed for that process.
Oparin’s theory has gained broad recognition. The outstanding
American scientist F. A. Lippmann has written: “This theory is the greatest
achievement in the field of science of the origin of life. It has shown me the
way personally. After I have read it a radical change in my work occurred”
(see Preface of Oparin, 1974).
A tribute to the problem is the article of J. Haldane (1929) also entitled
“The Origin of Life”, which was published only five years after Oparin’s
book. Haldane distanced himself from the spontaneous generation concept
of living organisms and has assumed that organic substances have been
formed prior to primeval organisms thus developing evolutionary views on
that issue. Besides, he has presumed that at the initial stages of life
formation the atmosphere has contained a very small quantity of oxygen
(O2) if any and the UV-rays were not retained in its upper layers as it was
happening later after the formation of the ozone ring round the Earth.
According to him the problem of life origins would be subjected to
speculations up to the moment when a living entity is synthesized or even a
kind of an independent organism, adding that speculations of that sort are
not futile since they could be experimentally proved.
In 1967 John Bernal published a book under the same title “The Origin
of Life” translated in Russian in two years time (Bernal, 1969). The author
was well acquainted with Oparin’s and Haldane’s works. He has had at