Origins and Evolution of Life (eBook, PDF)

An Astrobiological Perspective
Redaktion: Gargaud, Muriel

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

Devoted to exploring questions about the origin and evolution of life in our Universe, this highly interdisciplinary book brings together a broad array of scientists. Thirty chapters assembled in eight major sections convey the knowledge accumulated and the richness of the debates generated by this challenging theme. The text explores the latest research on the conditions and processes that led to the emergence of life on Earth and, by extension, perhaps on other planetary bodies. Diverse sources of knowledge are integrated, from astronomical and geophysical data, to the role of water, the origin of minimal life properties and the oldest traces of biological activity on our planet. This text will not only appeal to graduate students but to the large body of scientists interested in the challenges presented by the origin of life, its evolution, and its possible existence beyond Earth.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Cambridge University Press
• Erscheinungstermin: 6. Januar 2011
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9780511924255
• Artikelnr.: 38211785

Inhaltsangabe

Part I. What Is Life?: 1. Problems raised by a definition of life M.
Morange; 2. Some remarks about uses of cosmological anthropic 'principles'
D. Lambert; 3. Minimal cell: the biologist point of view C.
Brochier-Armanet; 4. Minimal cell: the computer scientist point of view H.
Bersini; 5. Origins of life: computing and simulation approaches B.
Billoud; Part II. Astronomical and Geophysical Context of the Emergence of
Life: 6. Organic molecules in interstellar medium C. Ceccarelli and C.
Cernicharo; 7. Cosmochemical evolution and the origin of life: insights
from meteorites S. Pizzarello; 8. Astronomical constraints on the emergence
of life M. Gounelle and T. Montmerle; 9. Formation of habitable planets J.
Chambers; 10. The concept of galactic habitable zone N. Prantzos; 11. The
young Sun and its influence on planetary atmospheres M. Güdel and J.
Kasting; 12. Climates of the Earth G. Ramstein; Part III. Role of Water in
the Emergence of Life: 13. Liquid water: a necessary condition to all forms
of life K. Bartik, G. Bruylants, E. Locci and J. Reisse; 14. The role of
water in the formation and evolution of planets T. Encrenaz; 15. Water on
Mars J. P. Bibring; Part IV. From Non-Living Systems to Life: 16. Energetic
constraints on prebiotic pathways: application to the emergence of
translation R. Pascal and L. Boiteau; 17. Comparative genomics and early
cell evolution A. Lazcano; 18. Origin and evolution of metabolisms J.
Peretó; Part V. Mechanisms for Life Evolution: 19. Molecular phylogeny:
inferring the patterns of evolution E. Douzery; 20. Horizontal gene
transfer: mechanisms and evolutionary consequences D. Moreira; 21. The role
of symbiosis in eukaryotic evolution A. Latorre, A. Durbán, A. Moya and J.
Peretó; Part VI. Life in Extreme Conditions: 22. Life in extreme
conditions: Deinococcus radiodurans, an organism able to survive prolonged
desiccation and high doses of ionising radiation S. Sommer and M. Toueille;
23. Molecular effects of UV and ionizing radiations on DNA J. Cadet and T.
Douki; 24. Molecular adaptations to life at high salt: lessons from
Haloarcula marismortui G. Zaccai; Part VII. Traces of Life and
Biosignatures: 25. Early life: nature, distribution and evolution F.
Westall; 26. Early eukaryotes in precambrian oceans E. Javaux; 27.
Biomineralisation mechanisms K. Benzerara and J. Miot; 28. Limits of life
and biosphere: lesson from detection of microorganisms in deep sea and deep
subsurface in the Earth K. Takai; Part VIII. Life Elsewhere?: 29. Titan and
the Cassini-Huygens mission J. Lunine and F. Raulin; 30. The role of
terrestrial analogue environments in astrobiology R. Léveillé; Index.