According to modern astronomy, planetary systems and the conditions suitable for life are considered to be of common occurrence in the universe. The Oparin-Haldane hypothesis postulates the prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds as a necessary preamble to the origin of life on Earth. Experimental work in many laboratories has produced considerable evidence in support of this idea. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that a similar sequence of events may have taken place elsewhere in the universe. In our search for life beyond the Earth, the planet Mars is of special interest. Its physical parameters, though severe, do not exclude the possibility that microorganisms may exist on that planet. Several experiments are being planned for the 1975 opposition of Mars. The results of such investigations may have a profound effect on our concepts of the nature of life itself.