Abstract
Although life is not readily definable, its essence is the multiplication of a certain sort of matter (animate) at the expense of different matter (inanimate) which does not so multiply. Energy is necessary for this and subsequent transformations, but is not considered in the present paper; it has been thoroughly discussed elsewhere (e.g., by Broda, 1971). The central feature of the animate type of matter is the transmission of a particular material order to succeeding entities; this is the genetic aspect.
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Langridge, J. (1980). Precambrian Genetics. In: Biogeochemistry of Ancient and Modern Environments. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-26582-6_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-26582-6_3
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