The Origin Of The Chemical Elements And Of Cell Life

Excerpt from The Origin of the Chemical Elements and of Cell Life Hugo De Vries, Professor of Botany in the University of Amsterdam, says in his work, "Species and Varieties - Their Origin by Mutation," The probabilities are now greatly in favour of our finding out the causes of evolution by a close scrutiny of what really occurs in nature. A persistent study of the physiological factors of this evolution is the chief condition of success. To this study, field observations may contribute, as well as direct experiments, microscopical investigations, as well as extended pedigree cultures. "The co-operation of many workers is required to cover the field. Somewhere, no doubt, the desired principle lies hidden, but until it is discovered all methods must be tried. A very slight indication may change forever the whole aspect of the problem. It was through "field observations" that the writer's interest in scientific research was first awakened. Having undertaken the preparation of material for the furtherance of Nature Study in the schools of Canada, such as "Birds of Canada, in Relation to Agriculture" (published 1908), "The Wild Animals of Canada," "The Wild Flowers of Canada," and "The Fishes of our Canadian Waters," at the request of the Minister of Education of the Provincial Government, in the form of Pictorial Charts, a very careful study of the classification of the different forms of life was necessary. The evidence of fixed numbers and their multiples in determining the division and subdivision of the different forms of life, forced the conclusion that only by regarding science indivisible in all its branches, can its great truths be rendered discoverable. The wonderful achievements of specialization had been kept too separate. The new knowledge of matter afforded by electro-chemical analysis, and by experiments with substances of the radium group, proved that the same kind of rays were being emitted by all forms of matter. The electrical constitution of matter appeared to hold the key to the solution of the laws that governed the grouping of material forms, in fixed numbers and multiples of those numbers. The present conception of Evolution places the origin of life as "spontaneous" and in sterilized waters (condensing on a molten mass), a condition which is to-day declared impossible. The electrical constitution of matter forces the recognition that motion is life, and the control of motion determines the length of time the material form shall live. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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How did life begin? Starting with the Big Bang Theory, this book systematically discusses scientific findings and hypotheses on topics such as the origin of chemical elements, formation of life on Earth, evolution of life elements, their subtle chemical reactions and miraculous physiological functions. The content in this book is carefully arranged to focus on major scientific discoveries in various disciplines related to life science, with particular emphasis on the vital relationship between chemical reactions in the human body and health, shedding light on hot issues of public concern such as nutrition and human longevity. Important concepts covered include chemical circulation and the dynamic balance of elements both within ourselves, and with the environment. Ultimately, the takeaway message is that the success of keeping the tree of life evergreen depends not only on the advancement of life science research, but also on whether human beings can follow the laws of nature and maintain a harmonious relationship with the earth.

This fascinating survey takes chemistry as the central science of all materials at the molecular level, and brings together both organic and inorganic aspects in a clear account of the development of ideas of chemical evolution.

This beautifully written book is a study of the physical relationship between the inanimate environment and living organisms. It describes how the evolution of both has been interactive and interdependent; the authors show that this can be explained in terms of the properties of the chemical elements and their compounds. The book discusses the physical and chemical balances between the animate and inanimate worlds, with kinetic and thermodynamic principles given to support this analysis. These principles are applied to both organic and inorganic chemical systems to provide a basis for understanding the evolution of life in terms of the interaction of both types of chemistry within ever more complex organizations. The book concludes with an examination of an intriguing problem: the long-term consequences of our manufacture and exploitation of chemicals. This intervention may be altering the symbiotic relationship between life and the environment, an issue of great concern to ecologists and biologists as well as those who study chemistry.

In Assembling Life, David Deamer addresses questions that are the cutting edge of research on the origin of life. For instance, how did non-living organic compounds assemble into the first forms of primitive cellular life? What was the source of those compounds and the energy that produced the first nucleic acids? Did life begin in the ocean or in fresh water on terrestrial land masses? Could life have begun on Mars? The book provides an overview of conditions on the early Earth four billion years ago and explains why fresh water hot springs are a plausible alternative to salty seawater as a site where life can begin. Deamer describes his studies of organic compounds that were likely to be available in the prebiotic environment and the volcanic conditions that can drive chemical evolution toward the origin of life. The book is not exclusively Earth-centric, but instead considers whether life could begin elsewhere in our solar system. Deamer does not propose how life did begin, because we can never know that with certainty. Instead, his goal is to understand how life can begin on any habitable planet, with Earth so far being the only known example.