1 Introduction

1.1 The origin of life - why is the question so important for us?

1.2 What is life?

1.3 Who was LUCA?

1.4 The entry

2 Global requirements

2.1 First requirement: the planets and a sun

2.2 Second condition: the Earth - a material collection for the start

2.3 Third condition: water

2.4 Fourth requirement: a permanent atmosphere

2.5 How did it continue?

3 The narrower framework: The chemistry, physics and physical

chemistry, without them it does not work

3.1 The chemical resources of life

3.2 Chemistry has its own laws

3.3 Catalysts accelerate a reaction substantially

3.4 Dilution - no reaction without concentration

3.5 Entropy and no end

3.6 Chirality - what is that?

4 Really helpful: a short outline of processes in biological cells

4.1 The problem of confinement

4.2 Information storage, without zeros and ones

4.3 How is the information used, which is stored in the cell?

5 Previous models

5.1 From ancient to modern science

5.2 The modern beginnings

5.3 The attempt of Harold C. Urey and Stanley L. Miller

5.4 The dam was broken

5.5 "Black Smoker" - a parallel world

5.6 A new discovery - the "White Smoker "

5.7 The search continued - warm ponds

5.8 Panspermia - space seeds

5.9 Further considerations

6 The RNA world: The start with a very special molecule?

6.1 RNA, a molecule with capabilities

6.2 Problems of the RNA world

7 The new model: hydrothermal systems in the early continental crust

7.1 The continental crust - fragile and disturbed

7.2 Supercritical gases - steam under pressure?

7.3 It does exist: proof from the nature

7.4 They are possible: experiments on the crustal model

8 A hypothetical approach

8.1 The search for the path

8.2 Phase I - formation and enrichment

8.3 Phase II - the selection process

8.4 Phase V (preferred) - a possible start of life

8.5 Phase VI - LUCA becomes visible

8.6 Phase III - bonds to the RNA world

8.7 Phase IV - the gap's closure

8.8 Can it be that way?

9 After LUCA: what happened next?

9.1 The triumphal procession begins

9.2 The contact of differently developed cells

9.3 What about the viruses?