Part 1 Birth of a chemistry of life: the stages by which chemistry and biology came closer together; chemical reactions; the chemical functioning of the cell. Part 2 Origins of life: the tiny primeval molecules; primitive organic molecules; macromolecules; supramolecular edifices; simple functions; consequences of the discovery of the catalytic properties of RNAs. Part 3 From the simple to the complex: higher-order systems; complex structures; complex functions. Part 4 The "animation" of matter: metabolism; replication. Part 5 Conclusions: living chemistry.
