Publisher's Synopsis
In the last few years, our understanding of fundamental molecular aspects of the prebiological and biological evolution of life has advanced through the use of modern biochemical and biophysical techniques of measurement. In particular, we now have improved knowledge of the structure and functions of nucleic acids and proteins, and of the relation of functional forms to structural patterns. This book, which is based on papers presented at a meeting arranged by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, is an interdisciplinary account of the field. Contributions from biochemists, biophysicists, geneticists, molecular biologists and medical workers are integrated under the headings of Prebiotic Systems and Evolutionary Pathways, Nucleic Acids and Informational Systems, Proteins and Enzymatic Functions, and Complex Systems and Organization. The volume will be valuable to workers in all these fields.
