Informed by new planetary discoveries and the findings from
recent robotic missions to Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, scientists
are rapidly replacing centuries of speculation about potential
extraterrestrial habitats with real knowledge about the possibility
of life outside our own biosphere--if it exists, and where. This
second edition of Kevin W. Plaxco and Michael Gross's widely
acclaimed text incorporates the latest research in astrobiology to
bring readers the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and engaging
introduction to the field available.
Plaxco and Gross expand their examination of the origin of
chemical elements, the developments that made the Universe
habitable, and how life continues to be sustained. They discuss in
great detail the formation of the first galaxies and stars, the
diverse chemistry of the primordial planet, the origins of
metabolism, the evolution of complex organisms, and the feedback
regulation of Earth's climate. They also explore life in extreme
habitats, potential extraterrestrial habitats, and the current
status of the search for extraterrestrial life.
Weaving together the relevant threads of astronomy, geology,
chemistry, biophysics, and microbiology, this broadly accessible
introductory text captures the excitement, controversy, and
progress of the dynamic young field of astrobiology. New to this
edition is a glossary of terms and an epilogue recapping the key
unanswered questions, making "Astrobiology" an ideal primer for
students and, indeed, for anyone curious about life and the
Universe.
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