Astrobiology: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach

by Lunine, Jonathan

• ISBN13: 9780805380422
• ISBN10: 0805380426
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-01-01
• Publisher: Benjamin Cummings

Summary

Astrobiology: A Multidisciplinary Approach is the most comprehensive textbook available for emerging upper-level courses in astrobiology. Internationally renowned authority Jonathan Lunine gives students with a variety of backgrounds a solid foundation in the essential concepts of physics, chemistry, biology, and other relevant sciences to help them achieve a well-rounded understanding of the fascinating study of the origin of life, planetary evolution, and life in the cosmos.

Table of Contents

PREFACE	viii
Introduction-What Is Astrobiology?	1	(304)
1 Historical Background to Astrobiology	9	(24)
1.1 Science Retold as History: Buyers Beware!	9	(2)
1.2 The Astronomical Revolution: Earth as One of Many Planets	11	(7)
1.3 The Chemical Revolution: The Building Blocks of Matter Revealed and the Vital Spark Removed from Organic Chemistry	18	(5)
1.4 The Biological Revolution: Life from Life Only	23	(5)
1.5 The Search for Life's Origins: Life from What, and Where?	28	(5)
2 Essential Concepts I: Some Basic Physics of Forces and Particles	33	(33)
2.1 Introduction	33	(1)
2.2 The Forces of Nature	34	(16)
2.3 More on the Particles of Nature	50	(3)
2.4 Quantum Mechanics	53	(9)
2.5 The Conservation of Mass-Energy	62	(4)
3 Essential Concepts II: The Physics of Chemistry	66	(37)
3.1 Introduction	66	(1)
3.2 Quantum Mechanics and the Electron	66	(4)
3.3 The Periodic Table	70	(7)
3.4 Bonding Mechanisms	77	(9)
3.5 Particular Properties of the Carbon Bond	86	(2)
3.6 Spectroscopy and the Spectroscopic Signatures of Atomic and Molecular Structure	88	(10)
3.7 Isotopes and the Stability of the Nucleus	98	(5)
4 Necessary Concepts III: The Chemistry of Life	103	(38)
4.1 Introduction	103	(1)
4.2 The Fundamental Biopolymers, Their Units, and Other Molecules	103	(13)
4.3 Informational, Structural, and Transport Systems of the Prokaryotic Cell	116	(4)
4.4 Organelles and Their Functions in the Eukaryotic Cell	120	(3)
4.5 Energy Storage and Transfer via the Proton and the Electron in Cells	123	(3)
4.6 Glycolysis, Respiration, and Fermentation	126	(4)
4.7 Photosynthesis and Chemisynthesis	130	(3)
4.8 The Genetic Code and the Synthesis of Proteins	133	(8)
5 The Cosmic Foundations of the Origins of Life	141	(33)
5.1 Introduction	141	(1)
5.2 Temporal and Spatial Scales of the Cosmos	141	(13)
5.3 Origin of the Primordial Elements Hydrogen and Helium in the Big Bang	154	(3)
5.4 Manufacture of the Biogenic Elements in the Shining and Death of Stars	157	(8)
5.5 Is the Universe Tuned to Allow Life?	165	(9)
6 Planetological Foundations for the Origin of Life	174	(37)
6.1 Introduction	174	(1)
6.2 Formation of Planets as a Natural Consequence of Star Formation	174	(12)
6.3 The Technique of Isotopic Dating	186	(6)
6.4 Meteorites: The Age of the Elements and of the Earth	192	(5)
6.5 Origin of the Earth's Oceans and Biogenic Elements	197	(2)
6.6 Origin of the Moon and the Differentiated Earth	199	(2)
6.7 The Earth After Formation and the Geologic Timescale	201	(10)
7 The Thermodynamic Foundations of Life	211	(32)
7.1 Introduction	211	(1)
7.2 Important Concepts of Thermodynamics: Temperature, Energy, Heat, Work, Entropy, and the Laws of Thermodynamics	212	(5)
7.3 A Closer Look at Entropy: Maxwell's Demon, Information Theory, and Statistical Mechanics	217	(8)
7.4 Thermodynamics of Living Systems	225	(11)
7.5 Thermodynamics, Disequilibrium, Chemistry, and the Origin of Life	236	(7)
8 Biological Foundations for the Origin of Life	243	(31)
8.1 Introduction	243	(1)
8.2 Earliest Roles of RNA as Encoder and Catalyst	244	(4)
8.3 Formation of DNA	248	(2)
8.4 Precursors to RNA	250	(8)
8.5 Vesicle Formation and the Precursors to Cells	258	(3)
8.6 The Fundamental Role of Containers and Surfaces inncreasing Replicator Complexity	261	(4)
8.7 Sizes of Protocells and the RNA World	265	(9)
9 From the Origin to the Diversification of Life	274	(31)
9.1 Introduction	274	(2)
9.2 Complex Behavior in Chemical Systems	276	(6)
9.3 Before the Threshold: Evolving Autocatalysis or Life without Replication	282	(8)
9.4 Beyond the Threshold: The Evolutionary Diversification of Life	290	(5)
9.5 Putting It All Together: A Time-Travel Fantasy	295	(10)
10 Extremophiles and the Span of Terrestrial Biotic Environments	305	(24)
10.1 Introduction	305	(1)
10.2 Extreme Environments	306	(14)
10.3 The Implications of Extremophiles for Life Elsewhere in the Solar System	320	(5)
10.4 The Significance of Extremophiles in the Earliest History of Life	325	(4)
11 Planetary Evolution I: Earth's Evolution as a Habitable Planet	329	(36)
11.1 Introduction	329	(1)
11.2 Evidence of Habitability Early in Earth's History	330	(4)
11.3 Earliest Evidence of the Existence of Life	334	(3)
11.4 The Faint Early Sun and a Massive Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse	337	(7)
11.5 Carbon-Silicate Cycle, Plate Tectonics, and Weathering	344	(4)
11.6 Origin of Granites and the Supercontinent Cycle	348	(5)
11.7 The Rise of Oxygen	353	(3)
11.8 The Implications of Earth's Habitability for Mars and Venus	356	(9)
12 Planetary Evolution II: The History of Mars	365	(36)
12.1 Introduction	365	(1)
12.2 Mars as a Planet Today	366	(9)
12.3 Evidence for Past Epochs of Surface Liquid Water	375	(9)
12.4 Mechanism for a Warm Climate on Early Mars	384	(1)
12.5 The Drying and Freezing of Mars: Causes and Timing	385	(2)
12.6 Martian Crustal and Surface Water Today	387	(6)
12.7 The Origin of Martian Water	393	(1)
12.8 Future Exploration of Mars	394	(7)
13 Planetary Evolution III: The Significance of Europa and Titan	401	(34)
13.1 Introduction	401	(1)
13.2 Setting: The Outer Solar System	401	(3)
13.3 Europa	404	(12)
13.4 Titan	416	(19)
14 Life Elsewhere I: Direct Detection of Life and Its Remnants Within the Solar System	435	(39)
14.1 Introduction	435	(1)
14.2 What Are We Searching For?	436	(3)
14.3 The Basic Characteristics of Life That Define What We Are Looking For	439	(5)
14.4 Modern Techniques to Search for Life on Other Worlds	444	(16)
14.5 Case Study in the Search for Life on Mars I: Viking	460	(1)
14.6 Case Study in the Search for Life on Mars II: ALH84001	461	(4)
14.7 Future Searches for Life on Mars	465	(2)
14.8 Searching for Life in the Subsurface of Europa	467	(1)
14.9 Exploration of Titan for Clues to the Origin of Life	468	(2)
14.10 Coda to the Search for Life	470	(4)
15 Life Elsewhere II: The Discovery of Extrasolar Planetary Systems and the Search for Habitable and Inhabited Worlds	474	(40)
15.1 Introduction	474	(1)
15.2 The Systematic Discovery of Planets Using Doppler Spectroscopy	475	(8)
15.3 Astrometry: Another Technique for Indirect Detection of Planets	483	(4)
15.4 Planets Almost Seen: Detection of Planets by Transits, Phases, and Microlensing	487	(7)
15.5 Direct Detection	494	(10)
15.6 Learning About Other Earths	504	(4)
15.7 The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence	508	(6)
16 External and Internal Influences in the Evolution of Life	514	(32)
16.1 Introduction	514	(1)
16.2 Mechanisms of Evolution	515	(3)
16.3 On the Origin of Eukaryotes	518	(5)
16.4 Complexity, Diversity, and Evolution	523	(3)
16.5 Environmental and Genetic Interactions in the Evolution of Life	526	(4)
16.6 Snowball Earth and the Cambrian Explosion	530	(4)
16.7 Impacts, Volcanism, and Major Extinctions	534	(5)
16.8 Orbital and Spin-Axis Forcing of Climate Variations	539	(2)
16.9 Variations in the Pace of Biological Evolution on Habitable Planets	541	(5)
17 Evolution of Intelligence and the Persistence of Civilization	546	(32)
17.1 Introduction	546	(1)
17.2 Ecce Homo	546	(8)
17.3 Human Intelligence as an Evolutionary Specialization and the Biology of Conscious Self-Awareness	554	(6)
17.4 Climate Change and the Timing of the Development of Human Civilization	560	(2)
17.5 Future Prospects for the Human Species and Its Civilization	562	(5)
17.6 Epilogue: Is There Anyone to Talk to Elsewhere in the Cosmos?	567	(11)
INDEX	578