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9780521531023

Planets and Life: The Emerging Science of Astrobiology

by
  • ISBN13:

    9780521531023

  • ISBN10:

    0521531020

  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 2007-09-24
  • Publisher: Cambridge University Press

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Summary

Astrobiology involves the study of the origin and history of life on Earth, planets and moons where life may have arisen, and the search for extraterrestrial life. It combines the sciences of biology, chemistry, palaeontology, geology, planetary physics and astronomy. This textbook brings together world experts in each of these disciplines to provide the most comprehensive coverage of the field currently available. Topics cover the origin and evolution of life on Earth, the geological, physical and chemical conditions in which life might arise and the detection of extraterrestrial life on other planets and moons. The book also covers the history of our ideas on extraterrestrial life and the origin of life, as well as the ethical, philosophical and educational issues raised by astrobiology. Written to be accessible to students from diverse backgrounds, this text will be welcomed by advanced undergraduates and graduates who are taking astrobiology courses.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface
Contributors
Prologue
History
History of astrobiological ideas
From exobiology to astrobiology
The Physical Stage
Formation of Earth-like habitable planets
Planetary atmospheres and life
The Origin of Life on Earth
Does 'life' have a definition?
Origin of life: crucial issues
Origin of proteins and nucleic acids
The roots of metabolism
Origin of cellular life
Life on Earth
Evolution: a defining feature of life
Evolution of metabolism and early microbial communities
The earliest records of life on Earth
The origin and diversification of eukaryotes
Limits of carbon life on Earth and elsewhere
Life in ice
The evolution and diversification of life
Mass extinctions
Potentially Habitable Worlds
Extrasolar planets
Searching for Extraterrestrial Life
How to search for life on other worlds
Instruments and strategies for detecting extraterrestrial life
Societial and ethical concerns
Planetary protection
Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence
Alien biochemistries
Future of the Field
Disciplinary and educational opportunities
Appendixes
Units and usages Epilogue
Planetary properties
The geological time scale
Astrobiological destinations on planet Earth
Microscope web tool
Index
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Supplemental Materials

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