Introductory Address＆by A．I．OPARIN 1
Discours d＇ouverture＆by M．FLORKIN 5
First Session (Chairman:M．FLORKIN) Primary Formation of Primitive Organic Compounds on the Earth 7
REPORTS 9
Some considerations about the primaeval state of the Earth＆V．G．FESENKOV 9
Primitive planetary atmospheres and the origin of life (read by S．L．MILIER)＆H．C．UREY 16
The origin of the biosphere＆A．P．VINOGRADOV 23
The problem of stages in biopoesis＆J．D．BERNAL 38
COMMUNICATIONS 54
The evolution of the atmosphere of the Earth＆V．A．SOKOLOV 54
The formation of the Earth from cold material and the problem of the formation of the simplest organic substances＆B．YU．LEVIN 67
Chemical diversity and the origins of life＆N．W．PIRIE 76
The geological conditions for the appearance of life on the Earth and the problems of petroleum genesis＆P．N．KROPOTKIN 84
The role of dissymmetry in the origin of living material (read by A．P．TERENT＇EV)＆A．P．TERENT＇EV and E．I．KLABUNOVSKII 95
DISCUSSION (Chairman:L．PAULING):N．H．HOROWITZ,V．I．KRASOVSKII and I．S．SHKLOVSKII (read by I．S．SHKLOVSKII), A．A．GARIBYANTS, N．M．GALAKTIONOVA, A．I．LEBEDINSKII, I．S．SHKLOVSKII, H．A．LYUBIMOVA, V．V．ALPATOV, A．S．KONIKOVA, J．D．BERNAL,N．W．PIRIE,A．E．BRAUNSHIEIN, A．KRAVTSOV, L．PAULING 106
Second Session (Chairman:J．D．BERNAL) The Transformation of Primary Organic Compounds on the Earth 121
REPORTS 123
Formation of organic compounds on the primitive Earth＆S．L．MILLER 123
Photosynthesis in the shortest ultraviolet＆A．N．TERENIN 136
COMMUNICATIONS 140
The reactions involved in the formation of compounds preliminary to the synthesis of protoplasm and other materials of biological importance＆K．BAHADUR 140
The original formation of amino acids under the action of ultraviolet rays and electric discharges (read by T．E．PAVLOVSKAYA)＆T．E．PAVLOVSKAYA and A．G．PASYNSKII 151
Absolute asymmetric synthesis and asymmetric catalysis＆E．I．KLABUNOVSKII 158
Some conditions for the appearance of life on the Earth＆R．L．BERG 169
DISCUSSION (Chairman I．MALEK):E．I．EL＇PINER and A．V．SOKOL＇SKAYA (read by E．I．EL＇PINER), M．VOL＇KENSHTEIN, A．G．PASYNSKII, E．I．KLABUNOVSKII and V．V．PATRIKEEV (read by V．V．PATRIKEEV), M．A．MESSINEVA, L．PAULING, J．D．BERNAL, S．AKABORI,C．REID,D．SAPOAHNIKOV, S．L．MILLER,S．Fox,A．G．PASYNSKII, A．YA．SMIRNOVA, A．A．GURVICH 172
Third Session (Chairman:IN-KHUN-CHEN) The Origin of Proteins,Nucleoproteins and Enzymes 187
REPORTS 189
On the origin of the fore-protein＆S．AKABORI 189
Der Ursprung der Enzyme＆O．HOFFMANN-OSTENHOF 197
Evolution of enzymes and the photosynthetic apparatus＆M．CALVIN 207
The nature of the forces operating in the process of the duplication of molecules in living organisms＆L．PAULING 215
COMMUNICATIONS 224
The occurrence of amino acids in Nature＆R．L．M．SYNGE 224
Ahnlichkeit der Struktur bei Eiweiβstoffen＆F．SORM 231
Die Kontinuitat des Eiweisses＆K．FELIX 241
A chemical theory of spontaneous generation＆S．W．FOX 256
(Chairman:K．MOTHES) 263
Complex compounds and models of enzymes＆L．A．NIKOLAEV 263
Experimental demonstration of the occurrence of metabolic processes in simple proteins (read by M．G．KRITSMAN)＆M．G．KRITSMAN and A．S．KONIKOVA 275
The problem of the origin of the proteins＆F．CEDRANGOLO 281
DISCUSION:S．E．BRESLER,＆ A．G．PAXYNSKII, S．OERIU,G．F．GAUSE, E．M．MAKOVSKII, A．M．GOLDOVSKII 289
Fourth Session (Chairman:S．AKABORI) The Origin of Proteins,Nucleoproteins and Enzymes (continued) 295
REPORTS 297
Nucleic acids as carriers of biological information＆E．CHARGAFF 297
The infective nucleic acid from tobacco mosaic virus (read by H．L．FRAENKEL-CONRAT)＆H．L．FRAENKEL 303
Die Bedeutung der Virusforschung für die Erkenntnis biologischer Vermehrungsvorgange＆G．SCHRAMM 307
On the nature of viruses,genes and life＆W．M．STANLEY 313
COMMUNICATIONS 322
On the species specificity of the nucleic acids in bacteria＆A．N．BELOZERSKII 322
Die Spezifizitat der Desoxyribonukleinsaure＆A．WACKER 332
Die Entstehung des dynamischem Zustandes＆E．BRODA 334
Synthèse enzymatique des ribopolynucléotides＆M．GRUNBERG-MANAGO 344
A note on the evolution of nucleic acids＆A．E．MIRSKY 358
Les acides nucléiques et l＇origine des protéines＆J．BRACHET 361
DISCUSSION (Chairman:O．HOFFMANN-OSTENHOF) A．I．OPARIN, I．MALEK, E．N．PAVLOVSKII, N．W．PIRIE,A．A．SMORODINTSEV, H．L．FRAENKEL-CONRAT, W．M．STANLEY, L．A．ZIL＇BER, V．RYZHKOV, A．N．BELOZFRSKII, G．SCHRAMM, V．S．TONGUR,S．E．BRESLER, A．S．KONIKOVA, M．GRUNBERG-MANAGO,K．G．IOFFE, N．I．NUZHDIN 368
Fifth Session (Chairman:M．GRUNBERG-MANAGO) The Origin of Structure and Metabolism 383
REPORTS 385
The scale of structural units in biopoesis＆J．D．BERNAL 385
The part played by structural elements in the biochemical function of cells＆N．M．SISAKYAN 400
Problèmes d＇évolution dans la thermodynamique des phénomènes irreversibles (read at Sixth Session)＆I．PRIGOGINE 418
COMMUNICATIONS 428
Biochemical processes in the simplest structures＆A．I．OPARIN 428
The origin of life and the formation and organizing functions of natural membranes＆P．MITCHELL 437
Enzymic reactions in stationary open systems＆A．G．PASYNSKII 444
Biosynthesis of enzymes and their origin＆F．B．STRAUB 455
Cell structure and protein synthesis＆R．KHESIN 460
Some relationships between coacervates and enzymes＆E．MACOVSCHI 466
Protein complexes as biochemically active systems＆G．A．DEBORIN 470
DISCUSSION (Chairman:F．B．STRAUB):K．MOTHES,O．B．LEPESHINSKAYS, M．V．VOL＇KENSHTEIN？, A．G．PASYNSKII,？K．S．TRINCHER,？ZH．IORDANOV, G．M．FRANK, S．W．FOX,P．SOKOL, T．N．EVREINOVA, V．I．VOROBIEV, G．P．KALINA, M．I．GOL＇DIN, R．L．BERG, V．S．TONGUR, B．S．DISKINA, J．D．BERNAL, I．PRIGOGINE 480
Sixth Session (Chairman:K．Felix) The Evolution of Metabolism 501
REPORTS 503
L＇extension de la biosphère et l＇évolution biochimique＆M．FLORKIN 503
Uber einige wahrscheinliche Wege der Evolution des Stoffwechsels bei den Mikroorganismen＆V．N．SHAPOSHNIKOV 516
The pathways of biological assimilation and dissimilation of nitrogen and some aspects of their evolution＆A．E．BRAUNSHTHIN 527
COMUNICATIONS 544
Le role de l＇ammoniaque dans l＇assimilation autotrophe de l＇azote＆V．L．KRETOVICH 544
Meaning of nitrate and sulphate reduction in the process of metabolic evolution＆M．ISHIMOTO and F．EGAMI 555
The comparative characters of the oxidative systems of various groups of organisms in relation to their evolution＆B．A．RUBIN 562
The effect of cysteine on the methionine content of the animal and plant organism＆S．OERIU 572
DISCUSSION (Chairman:J．S．HELLER):K．MOTHES,A．BLAGOVESHCHENSKII,N．S．AKULOV,G．A．KRITSKII 578
Seventh Session (Chairman:E．M．MAKOVSKII) The Evolution of Metabolism (continued) 583
REPORTS 585
Au sujet du passage de la vie anaérobie á la vie aerobie＆E．AUBEL 585
Significance of molecular hydrogen metabolism in the transitionary stage from anaerobiosis to aerobiosis＆Y．ODA 593
Development of the mode of action of the photocatalytic system in organisms＆A．A．KRASNOVSKII 606
COMMUNICATIONS 619
The relation between primitive and present-day photobiological processes＆C．REID 619
The evolution of chemosynthesis＆YU．I．SOROKIN 626
Entstehung und Evolution der phototrophen Ernahrungsweise＆D．J．SAPOZHNIKOW 635
Die Grundetappen der Biogenese des Chlorophylls＆T．N．GODNEV 642
Thermal factors in archaeometabolism＆S．SCHER 650
FINAL GENERAL DISCUSSION (Chairman:M．CALVIN):Chairman＇s introductory remarks,S．FOX,S．SCHER,J．D．BERNAL,D．I．SQPOZHNIKOV,K．MOTHES,E．CHARGAFF,G．SCHRAMM,K．FELIX,A．M．GOLDOVSKII,M．CALVIN,A．E．BRAUNSHTEIN,A．G．PASYNSKII,S．MILLER,L．PAULING,A．I．OPARIN,Chariman＇s closing remarks 652
AUTHOR INDEX 657
SUBJECT INDEX 674