Origins and Evolution of Life: An Astrobiological Perspective

Cover......Page 1
Frontmatter......Page 2
Contents......Page 6
List of contributors......Page 9
Foreword......Page 14
Preface......Page 18
Part I - What is life?......Page 22
1 - Problems raised by a definition of life......Page 24
2 - Some remarks about uses of cosmological anthropic `principles\'......Page 35
3 - Minimal cell: the biologist\'s point of view......Page 47
4 - Minimal cell: the computer scientist\'s point of view......Page 68
5 - Origins of life: computing and simulation approaches......Page 87
Part II - Astronomical and geophysical context of the emergence of life......Page 104
6 - Organic molecules in the interstellar medium......Page 106
7 - Cosmochemical evolution and the origin of life: insights from meteorites......Page 119
8 - Astronomical constraints on the emergence of life......Page 139
9 - Formation of habitable planets......Page 157
10 - The concept of the galactic habitable zone......Page 175
11 - The young Sun and its influence on planetary atmospheres......Page 188
12 - Climates of the Earth......Page 204
Part III - The role of water in the emergence of life......Page 224
13 - Liquid water: a necessary condition for all forms of life?......Page 226
14 - The role of water in the formation and evolution of planets......Page 239
15 - Water on Mars......Page 255
Part IV - From non-living systems to life......Page 266
16 - Energetic constraints on prebiotic pathways: application to the emergence of translation......Page 268
17 - Comparative genomics and early cell evolution......Page 280
18 - Origin and evolution of metabolisms......Page 291
Part V - Mechanisms for life evolution......Page 310
19 - Molecular phylogeny: inferring the patterns of evolution......Page 312
20 - Horizontal gene transfer: mechanisms and evolutionary consequences......Page 334
21 - The role of symbiosis in eukaryotic evolution......Page 347
Part VI - Life in extreme conditions......Page 366
22 - Life in extreme conditions: Deinococcus radiodurans, an organism able to survive prolonged desiccation and high doses of ionizing radiation......Page 368
23 - Molecular effects of UV and ionizing radiations on DNA......Page 380
24 - Molecular adaptations to life at high salt: lessons from Haloarcula marismortui......Page 396
Part VII - Traces of life and biosignatures......Page 410
25 - Early life: nature, distribution and evolution......Page 412
26 - Early eukaryotes in Precambrian oceans......Page 435
27 - Biomineralization mechanisms......Page 471
28 - Limits of life and the biosphere: lessons from the detection of microorganisms in the deep sea and deep subsurface of the Earth......Page 490
Part VIII - Life elsewhere?......Page 508
29 - Titan and the Cassini--Huygens mission......Page 510
30 - The role of terrestrial analogue environments in astrobiology......Page 528
Index......Page 544