"It is often said that all the conditions for the first production of a living organism are now present, which could ever have been present. But if (and oh! what a big if!) we could conceive in some warm little pond, with all sorts of ammonia and phosphoric salts, light, heat, electricity, &c., present, that a protein compound was chemically formed ready to undergo still more complex changes, at the present day such matter would be instantly devoured or absorbed, which would not have been the case before living creatures were formed". ("Di-se a miúdo que todas as condicións necesarias para a primeira produción dun organismo vivo están agora presentes, as cales poderían ter estado presentes nalgún momento. Pero 'se' (e oh! que grande 'se'!) puidésemos imaxinar nunha pequena lagoa cálida, con toda clase de amoníaco e sales fosfóricas, luz, calor, electricidade, etc., presentes, que un composto de proteína foi formado quimicamente preparado para sufrir cambios aínda máis complexos, hoxe en día tal materia sería instantaneamente devorada ou absorvida, o que non tería ocorrido antes de que se formasen as criaturas vivas.") Escrito en 1871, publicado en Darwin, Francis ed. 1887. The life and letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter.Londres: John Murray. Volume 3. 18
