1. Editorial

   • Cyril Ponnamperuma

   EditorialNotes Pages: 3 - 3

2. Fitness in the universe: Choices and necessities

   • George Wald

   Part I/Cosmochemistry Pages: 7 - 27

3. Galactic clouds of organic molecules

   • David Buhl

   Part I/Cosmochemistry Pages: 29 - 40

4. The outer solar system: Perspectives for exobiology

   • Tobias Owen

   Part I/Cosmochemistry Pages: 41 - 55

5. Catalytic reactions in the solar nebula: Implications for interstellar molecules and organic compounds in meteorites

   • Edward Anders
   • Ryoichi Hayatsu
   • Martin H. Studier

   Part I/Cosmochemistry Pages: 57 - 67

6. Natural evidence for chemical and early biological evolution

   • Keith A. Kvenvolden

   Part II/Paleobiology Pages: 71 - 86

7. Aspects of the geologic history of seawater

   • Heinrich D. Holland

   Part II/Paleobiology Pages: 87 - 91

8. Homeostatic tendencies of the Earth's atmosphere

   • James E. Lovelock
   • Lynn Margulis

   Part II/Paleobiology Pages: 93 - 103

9. Microfossils from the middle Precambrian McArthur Group, Northern Territory, Australia

   • M. D. Muir

   Part II/Paleobiology Pages: 105 - 118

10. The development and diversification of Precambrian life

    • J. William Schopf

    Part II/Paleobiology Pages: 119 - 135

11. The atmosphere of the primitive Earth and the prebiotic synthesis of amino acids

    • Stanley L. Miller

    Part III/Primordial Organic Chemistry Pages: 139 - 151

12. Biomolecules from HCN

    • J. P. Ferris
    • J. D. Wos
    • D. B. Donner

    Part III/Primordial Organic Chemistry Pages: 153 - 157

13. The prebiotic synthesis of oligonucleotides

    • J. Oró
    • E. Stephen-Sherwood

    Part III/Primordial Organic Chemistry Pages: 159 - 172

14. The possible role of clays in prebiotic peptide synthesis

    • Mella Paecht-Horowitz

    Part III/Primordial Organic Chemistry Pages: 173 - 187

15. Interactions between amino acids and nucleotides in the prebiotic milieu

    • Carl Saxinger
    • Cyril Ponnamperuma

    Part III/Primordial Organic Chemistry Pages: 189 - 200

16. Coacervate systems and origin of life

    • T. N. Evreinova
    • T. W. Mamontova
    • U. R. Hrust

    Part III/Primordial Organic Chemistry Pages: 201 - 205

17. Transfer RNA and the translation apparatus in the origin of life

    • Alexander Rich

    Part III/Primordial Organic Chemistry Pages: 207 - 219

18. A hypothetic scheme for evolution of probionts

    • A. I. Oparin

    Part IV/Precellular Organization Pages: 223 - 226

19. From proteinoid microsphere to contemporary cell: Formation of internucleotide and peptide bonds by proteinoid particles

    • Sidney W. Fox
    • John R. Jungck
    • Tadayoshi Nakashima

    Part IV/Precellular Organization Pages: 227 - 237

20. Chemical and catalytical properties of thermal polymers of amino acids (proteinoids)

    • Klaus Dose

    Part IV/Precellular Organization Pages: 239 - 252

21. Pre-enzymic origin of metabolic redox processes and of the energy storage processes

    • R. Buvet
    • L. Le Port
    • F. Stoetzel

    Part IV/Precellular Organization Pages: 253 - 262

22. Experimental attempts for the study of the origin of optical activity on earth

    • W. Thiemann
    • W. Darge

    Part IV/Precellular Organization Pages: 263 - 283

23. Life's beginnings 3- Origin or evolution?

    • John Keosian

    Part IV/Precellular Organization Pages: 285 - 293