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In this Journey to Microbial Worlds we present thediversity of microorganisms, from the state of fossil microbes inArchaean age rocks to the possibilities of extraterrestrial life. Thisvolume discusses the extremophiles living in harsh environments (fromour anthropocentric point) and describes them in considerable detail.Some chapters also review topics such as symbiosis, bacterialluminescence, methanogens, and petroleum-grown cells. The finalchapters of this book shed new light on astrobiology and speculate onextremophiles as candidates for extraterrestrial life. All chaptersare updated to the latest research level. ... Read more

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How did life originate in the universe? How did it all start after the creation of matter and the formation of elements in the stars? What are the pathways from the first organic molecules in space to the evolution of complex life forms on Earth and perhaps elsewhere? And how will it all end? The Universe itself sets the stage for the very interdisciplinary field of astrobiology that attempts to answer such questions, the central one being: What is the (cosmic) recipe for life? Currently there are only very few known elements in this vast mosaic. This book bridges a gap in the literature by bringing together leading specialists from different backgrounds who lecture on their fields, with close relevance to astrobiology, providing tutorial accounts that lead all the way to the forefront of research. The book will thus be useful for students, lecturers and reseachers alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Topics in astrobiology
This is a set of papers primarily of interest to astrobiologists.One might want to use it as part of an astrobiology course for graduate students.

The articles are fascinating.We start with a section on organic material in space.We learn about extrasolar planets, including "hot jupiters."We read a discussion of habitable zones for these extrasolar planets.And we look at a scenario of life being transferred from Mars to Earth.

Next is a section on water: how essential it is for life, and what it would mean to have life without water.We look at the geomorphological record of water-related erosion on Mars, and we see a discussion of tides on Europa.And we look at life in cold water, hot water, and salty water.

Third is a section on radiation and life.That includes magnetic shielding from cosmic rays, ultraviolet radiation, and effects of cosmic rays.The fourth section is about gravity: gravitational effects at the cellular level, and effects of gravity on plants and animals.And the fifth section is about complexity and life: scaling phenomena, molecular self-assembly, and what it would be like to look for fossils in an extraterrestrial environment.The book concludes with a paper about forthcoming space missions relevant to astrobiology.

This book has plenty of useful material for astrobiologists! ... Read more

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This volume covers the fields of origin, evolution andphylogenesis from prokaryotic to eukaryotic cells. The eminentauthors, experts in their fields, review the three kingdoms of life(Archea, Eubacteria and Eukarya) from molecular evolutionary levels toecological aspects in enigmatic habitats, including general reviews ofpuzzling pro--and eukaryotic organisms and their domains. Wediscuss dry habitats, thermophilic (cells in hot springs and underseathermal vents up to 110`C), psychrophilic (cryophiles) andhalophilic (high salt concentrations) niches which among the harshestconditions found on Earth where microbial life is frequently detected.Some chapters deal with the organisms which grow in extreme pHconditions (acidity vs. alkalinity), and under hydrostatic pressure inthe deep sea, and microbial growth on petroleum. Other contributorspresent their research on aerobiology and microbes growing in variousgases and various levels of radiation, including cellularmorphological modification in these extremophilic microbes. Thisvolume also includes the symbiotic association between two or moreorganisms on the endocellular and exocellular levels. Finally onepaper identifies the extremophiles as candidates for exobiology. Thisis a valuable comprehensive volume in English that covers most of theextremophiles in a new light with current research data. Audience: Students, lecturers and researchers; scholars in thefields of biology, evolutionary biology and chemistry, and otherevolutionary fields, and the intelligent layman. ... Read more

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Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. This book offers an analysis undertaken from the perspective of science education, to discuss the nature of the particular challenges faced by those seeking to facilitate public education in the field of astrobiology. The authors also address the question of the formation of a protocell and its function at the system level. It will further deal with the environmental pressures likely present on the early Earth, as they would have influenced the lifetime of unstable or reactive components needed for the start of life. In addition, the method of the transition from prebiotic organic microsystems to the primordial communities of prokaryotes is explored. The authors also explain some aspects related to aqueous interfacial processes in the context of prebiotic chemistry under the point of view of our current experimental results. Moreover, there is considerable interest in astrobiology in investigating icy worlds and the microbial forms that thrive in extreme environments, especially under those cold conditions that can provide a model for some extraterrestrial environments.This book reviews the general trends concerning the biodiversity and ecology of psychrophilic microorganisms and their molecular mechanisms of adaptation and evolution, as well as summarise the latest results on this topic in samples from icy environments. Other chapters summarise the morphological signatures of flowing water, the astrobiological potential of the dunes, and the theoretical modelling background of the presence of liquid water on Mars today. ... Read more

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The general topic of this book concerns the origin, evolution,distribution, and destiny of life in the Universe. It discusses thetransition from inert matter to cellular life and its evolution tofully developed intelligent beings, and also the possibility of lifeoccurring elsewhere, particularly in other environments in our own andother solar systems. The theoretical framework of Astrobiology may be probed with aforthcoming series of space missions, which at the time of writing arebeing planned for the next 10 to 15 years. Advanced extraterrestriallife can also be probed by means of radioastronomy in thewell-established project of search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Astrobiology pays special attention to the robust growth in ourcapacity to search for microorganisms, as well as signals ofextraterrestrial life, with recent significant technological progressin planetary science and radioastronomy. The progress of the mainspace agencies is highlighted. Audience: This volume is aimed at advanced undergraduate andgraduate students, as well as researchers in the many areas of basic,earth, and life sciences that contribute to the study of chemicalevolution and the origin of life. ... Read more

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Life As we Know It covers several aspects of Life, ranging from the prebiotic level, origin of life, evolution of prokaryotes to eukaryotes and finally to various affairs of human beings. Although Life is hard to define, one can characterize it and describe its features. The information presented here on the various phenomena of Life were all written by highly qualified authors including scientists, a professional athlete and three Nobel Laureates.

Product Description
Astrobiology is a very broad interdisciplinary field coveringthe origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny of life in theuniverse, as well as the design and implementation of missions forsolar system exploration. A review covering its complete spectrum hasbeen missing at a level accessible even to the non-specialist. The last section of the book consists of a supplement, including aglossary, notes, and tables, which represent highly condensed`windows' into research ranging from basic sciences to earth and lifesciences, as well as the humanities. These additions should make The New Science of Astrobiologyaccessible to a wide readership: scientists, humanists, and thegeneral reader will have an opportunity to participate in one of themost rewarding activities of contemporary culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very good introduction to astrobiology
This is a well-written book.It's informative and easy to read, even for the layman.And it covers the main topics in the field: cosmology, stellar evolution, origin of the planets, organic molecules in space, origin and handedness of life's macromolecules, evolution and intelligent life, possibilities of life on Mars, Europa, and Titan, and extrasolar planets.

... Read more

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Origins: Genesis, Evolution and Biodiversity of Microbial Life in the Universe is the sixth unit of the book series Cellular Origins, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology (COLE) edited by Joseph Seckbach. In this book forty eminent scientists review their studies in the fields of Life from the beginning to the ... Read more

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This book examines the origins, development and fate of intelligent species in the observable part of our universe. It scrutinizes what kind of information about extraterrestrial intelligent life can be inferred from our own biological, cultural and scientific evolution and the likely future of mankind. There is emphasis on the geological conditions and consequences of life's conquest of land as the pre-condition for the emergence of life with our type of technical intelligence.

Customer Reviews (4)

A book I had been waiting for!
I am rarely emphatic about scientific books, but this one is different. A very dense and comprehensive treatment of the subject, extremely well structured and nothing missing from the index! I particularly like the clarity of the figures. Hardly a book for people without a scientific background, but if you do have the background, go for it: it's like a refresher course and an update for many things you learnt at university years ago, with lots of astronomy and biology, but too little geology! Altogether, a very enjoyable read.

Well-organized and easy to read
I truly enjoyed reading this book.It is carefully written, has an enormous amount of up-to-date information, and covers the subject reasonably well.Astrobiology is a relatively new subject, and this is one of the best books about it.I was very impressed by the amount of material Ulmschneider was able to cover in only 250 pages and how clearly he explained everything.He went through the origin of the chemical elements, planet formation, the threat of planetary migration, the search for extrasolar planets, planetary atmospheric instabilities, theories on the origin of life on Earth, the evolution of life, the threats to the Earth's environment from the existence of life (such as the Huronic glaciation), the search for extraterrestrial life, and much more. That included some speculative material, some of which I found dubious.But that does not detract from the overall value of this book.

Impressive, though technical and mathematical
In this densely written book, Heidelberg University professor Peter Ulmschneider covers a remarkably wide range of questions related to extraterrestrial life and intelligence, and does so with convincing authority.His work,part of Springer's Physics and Astronomy series, has the flavor of a university textbook, with numerous graphs, tables, and diagrams, and a few equations.Readers will need either a basic knowledge of science or a willingness to learn while reading.

Part I, about planets, discusses the origin of chemical elements, planet formation, the search for extrasolar planets, and planets suitable for life. Part II, about life, begins at the most basic level of organic chemistry, then moves on to a condensed discussion of biological evolution on Earth.A much briefer chapter provides a quick overview of thesearch for extraterrestrial life.Part III, on intelligence, takes an unusual approach by beginning with the future of Humankind, emphasizing human expansion into the solar system and possible threats to our survival.Ulmschneider argues that, by thinking about our own future development, we can gain insights into the nature of extraterrestrial intelligence.He concludes his book with a discussion of extraterrestrial intelligent life, briefly noting some of the proposed explanations for the Fermi Paradox.

This book is not for casual readers. Because it covers so much territory, the discussions are highly condensed. Nonetheless, Ulmschneider has done an impressvie job. The book includes some small but well-reproduced colored pictures.

a complete picture of astrobiology
This book was so dense with information and so elegantly organized that I found it easier than most recreational reading I do these days. The author explains how one might answer what I consider to be the ultimate question: Is there intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? The author refrains from pontificating his own opinion, but rather provides the background information necessary for the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. The basics of planetary science, astrophysics, and biology are presented in the first section, followed by a description of the conditions in which life has evolved, and where elsewhere in the universe we might find such conditons. Part three (the section that I found to be the most fascinating) described the nature of intelligent life and the fate of humanity. As a student studying astrobiology, I found that this book did an amazing job of unifying many of the classes I have taken, and painted a very good picture of Astrobiology as a sigle subject. I would recommend the book to anyone intersted in astrobiology, space exploration, or the future of mankind. The material presented was sufficiently detailed for a student to gain insight, yet presented in such a simple manner that even the casual reader would walk away with and understanding of the contents. ... Read more

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When this book was published in 2006, it had been just over ten years since the first planet outside our solar system was detected. Since then, much work has focused on understanding how extrasolar planets may form, and discovering the frequency of potentially habitable Earth-like planets. This volume addresses fundamental questions concerning the formation of planetary systems in general, and of our solar system in particular. Drawing from advances in observational, experimental and theoretical research, it summarises our understanding of the planet formation processes, and addresses major open questions and research issues. Chapters are written by leading experts in the field of planet formation and extrasolar planet studies. The book is based on a meeting held at Ringberg Castle in Bavaria, where experts gathered together to present and exchange their ideas and findings. It is a comprehensive resource for graduate students and researchers, and is written to be accessible to newcomers to the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Current State of the Art and Projections for the Future
I was really glad in reading this book on the formation of planets to see a few pages devoted to Galileo. As the discoverer of the planet Neptune (it was nearby Jupiter which was his real interest) he deserves to be mentioned. As the victum of the power of the Roman Catholic church he pioneered the scientific approach to cosmology.

But I digress.

This is a book that summarizes the ten years since the first extra solar system planets were discovered. It is the result of a conference held in Bavaria in late 2004. Unlike many books giving reports of such conferences this one is not just a reprinting of the delivered papers. In this book a conscious effort was made to present a conscise and accurate picture of current planet formation theory, experiment and observations. The chapters are written by some heavy-hitters in the field and are more general in nature than just a summary of their current research.

In an amusing note, the book is dedicated to Slartibartfast of Magrathea, the one and only true planet formation specialist. He was, I'm sure you remember, the designer of planets, famous for creating the fjords found on the coast of Norway, as explained to the rest of us by Douglas Adams in 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.' ... Read more

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This highly interdisciplinary book highlights many of the ways in which chemistry plays a crucial role in making life an evolutionary possibility in the universe. Cosmologists and particle physicists have often explored how the observed laws and constants of nature lie within a narrow range that allows complexity and life to evolve and adapt. Here, these anthropic considerations are diversified in a host of new ways to identify the most sensitive features of biochemistry and astrobiology. Celebrating the classic 1913 work of Lawrence J. Henderson, The Fitness of the Environment for Life, this book looks at the delicate balance between chemistry and the ambient conditions in the universe that permit complex chemical networks and structures to exist. It will appeal to a broad range of scientists, academics, and others interested in the origin and existence of life in our universe. ... Read more

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The dynamic field of astrochemistry brings together ideas of physics, astrophysics, biology and chemistry to the study of molecules between stars, around stars and on planets. Astrochemistry: from Astronomy to Astrobiology provides a clear and concise introduction to this rapidly evolving multidisciplinary subject. Starting with the Molecular Universe, the text covers the formation of the elements, simple models of stars and their classification. It then moves on to draw on the theme of the Origins of Life to study interstellar chemistry, meteorite and comet chemistry as well as the chemistry of planets. Prebiotic chemistry and astrobiology are explored by examining the extremes of the biosphere on Earth, seeing how this may be applied to life in other solar systems.

Astrochemsitry assumes a basic familiarity with principles of physical and organic chemistry but no prior knowledge of biology or astrophysics. This innovative text incorporates results from the latest research and ground and space missions, with key images enhanced by a colour plate section.

• includes latest research and results from ground and space missions
• colour plate section
• summary of concepts and calculations at the end of each chapter
• accompanying website www.wiley.co/go/shawastrochemistry

Customer Reviews (1)

ambitious attempt
This book makes that ambitious attempt to cover a very large and diverse field.The author is clearly very enthusiastic and knowledgeable.There is a great deal of interest in this book, too.That said, there are numerous typos (e.g., a table showing the composition of the atmospheres of the inner planets has a blank column for oxygen; incorrect table citations in the text; tables and figures that do not entirely agree with the description of them in the text; errors in the formulas presented, etc).Further, the author covers some technical topics very briefly, making it hard to follow if you are using this text as your first introduction to the field.So, if you want to use this book as your introduction to the field, this book will have some interesting information for you, but may not be as helpful as more introductory books. ... Read more

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The McMurdo Dry Valleys form the largest relatively ice-free area on the Antarctic continent. The perennially ice-covered lakes, ephemeral streams and extensive areas of exposed soil are subject to low temperatures, limited precipitation and salt accumulation. The dry valleys thus represent a region where life approaches its environmental limits.This unique ecosystem has been studied for several decades as an analog to environments on other planets, particularly Mars. For the first time, the detailed terrestrial research of the dry valleys is brought together here, presented from an astrobiological perspective. Chapters include a discussion on the history of research in the valleys, a geological background of the valleys, setting them up as analogs for Mars, followed by chapters on the various sub-environments in the valleys such as lakes, glaciers and soils. Includes concluding chapters on biodiversity and other analog environments on Earth. ... Read more

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Where did we come from? Are we alone? Where are we going? These are the questions that define the field of astrobiology. New discoveries about life on Earth, the increasing numbers of extrasolar planets being identified, and the technologies being developed to locate and characterize Earth-like planets around other stars are continually challenging our views of nature and our connection to the rest of the universe. In this book, philosophers, historians, ethicists, and theologians provide the perspectives of their fields on the research and discoveries of astrobiology. A valuable resource for graduate students and researchers, the book provides an introduction to astrobiology, and explores subjects such as the implications of current origin of life research, the possible discovery of extraterrestrial microbial life, and the possibility of altering the environment of Mars. ... Read more

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This book provides information about microbial mats, from early fossils to modern mats located in marine and terrestrial environments. Microbial mats – layered biofilms containing different types of cells – are most complex systems in which representatives of various groups of organisms are found together. Among them are cyanobacteria and eukaryotic phototrophs, aerobic heterotrophic and chemoautotrophic bacteria, protozoa, anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria, and other types of microorganisms.

These mats are perfect models for biogeochemical processes, such as the cycles of chemical elements, in which a variety of microorganisms cooperate and interact in complex ways. They are often found under extreme conditions and their study contributes to our understanding of extremophilic life. Moreover, microbial mats are models for Precambrian stromatolites; the study of modern microbial mats may provide information on the processes that may have occurred on Earth when prokaryotic life began to spread.