Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life (Cambridge Astrobiology Book 3) by Ralph Pudritz (PDF)

Description

Several major breakthroughs have helped contribute to the emerging field of astrobiology. Focusing on these developments, this fascinating book explores some of the most important problems in this field. It examines how planetary systems formed, and how water and the biomolecules necessary for life were produced. It then focuses on how life may have originated and evolved on Earth. Building on these two themes, the final section takes the reader on a search for life elsewhere in the Solar System. It presents the latest results of missions to Mars and Titan, and explores the possibilities of life in the ice-covered ocean of Europa. This interdisciplinary book is an enjoyable overview of this exciting field for students and researchers in astrophysics, planetary science, geosciences, biochemistry, and evolutionary biology. Colour versions of some of the figures are available at www.cambridge.org/9780521875486.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐A very good book of 315 pages from Cambridge University: fifteen papers from different and very good experts in their field.Table of Contents:Part I. Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life:1. Observations of extrasolar planetary systems (18 pages)2. The atmospheres of extrasolar planets (20 pages)3. Terrestrial planet formation (21 pages)4. From protoplanetary disks to prebiotic amino acids and the origin of the genetic code (27 pages)5. Emergent phenomena in biology: the origin of cellular life (21 pages)Part II. Life on Earth:6. Extremophiles: defining the envelope for the search for life in the Universe (22 pages)7. Hyperthermophilic life on Earth – and on Mars? (14 pages)8. Phylogenomics: how far back in the past can we go? (29 pages)9. Horizontal gene transfer, gene histories and the root of the tree of life (15 pages)10. Evolutionary innovation versus ecological incumbency (17 pages)11. Gradual origins for the Metazoans (12 pages)Part III. Life in the Solar System?:12. The search for life on Mars (16 pages)13. Life in the dark dune spots of Mars: a testable hypothesis (22 pages)14. Titan: a new astrobiological vision from the Cassini-Huygens data (22 pages)15. Europa, the Ocean Moon: tides, permeable ice, and life (28 pages)The first three papers are about exoplanets and terrestrial planet formation.All the other twelve following papers are about the origin of life. These papers are of very good quality and are very suitable to get a quick but serious introduction to the origin of life and the possibilities of life on other solar system bodies such as Mars, Titan and Europa.For example in the chapters 4 and 5 you will learn among other things about the following important subjects such as:- formation of biomolecules/organic molecules- RNA, DNA, proteins- origin of the genetic code- life as an emergent phenomena- complex supra-molecular structure by self-assembly- capture of energy from the environment- emergence versus reductionism- prebiotic time on Earth- self-assembly of membranes- boundary structures and compartments- compartment first or metabolism first?- control of its own replication- etc…In the chapters 6 and 7 you will learn about life in extreme conditions: the surprising extremophiles and the hyperthermophilic life.In the chapter 10 and 11 you will learn about the link between evolution and the environment:- ecology and evolution- photosynthesis origin- increasing of the oxygen concentration- the Cambrian period: exuberant extinction and spectacular speciation- evidence of snow Earth, several global glaciation, ocean freezing- etc…The last four chapters (88 pages) are dedicated to the possibility of life on Mars, Titan and Europa.The chapter 13 is particularly interesting. It presents a very challenging hypothesis of a possible life in the Dark Dune Spot (DDS) of Mars.All the papers are of very good and homogeneous quality. Their selection and their sequencing are just right.You will progressively acquire a serious knowledge on all the aspects of the origin of life and the possibility of life on other solar system bodies in 12 to 29 pages per chapters.For non-experts in the field it will require some reading efforts but it will be very rewarding. I also found the reading of this book very entertaining.If you are seriously interested in the origin of life and exobiology I very strongly recommend that very good book from Cambridge University.>

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