ABSTRACT
Choice Recommended Title, August 2019
Read an exclusive interview with Professor Vera Kolb here.
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth. This exciting and significant field of research also investigates the potential existence and search for extra-terrestrial life in the Solar System and beyond.
This is the first handbook in this burgeoning and interdisciplinary field. Edited by Vera Kolb, a highly respected astrobiologist, this comprehensive resource captures the history and current state of the field. Rich in information and easy to use, it assumes basic knowledge and provides answers to questions from practitioners and specialists in the field, as well as providing key references for further study.
Features:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
section Section I|1 pages
Astrobiology
chapter 1.3|17 pages
Online, Classroom and Wilderness Teaching Environments
section Section II|1 pages
Definition and Nature of Life
section Section III|1 pages
Origin of Life
chapter 3.1|16 pages
Philosophical Aspects of the Origin-of-Life Problem
section Section IV|1 pages
Chemical Origins of Life
section Section V|1 pages
Chemical Origin of Life
chapter 5.8|9 pages
Phosphorylation on the Early Earth
section Section VI|1 pages
RNA and RNA World: Complexity of Life’s Origins
section Section VII|1 pages
Origin of Life
section Section VIII|1 pages
Origin of Life and Its Diversification. Universal Tree of Life. Early Primitive Life on Earth. Fossils of Ancient Microorganisms. Biomarkers and Detection of Life
chapter 8.6|11 pages
Biomarkers and Their Raman Spectral Signatures
section Section IX|1 pages
Life under Extreme Conditions—Microbes in Space
chapter 9.3|6 pages
Virus Evolution and Ecology
section Section X|1 pages
Habitability
section Section XI|1 pages
Intelligent Life in Space
chapter 11.1|16 pages
Mind in Universe
section Section XII|1 pages
Exoplanets, Exploration of Solar System, the Search for Extraterrestrial Life in Our Solar System, and Planetary Protection