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The revised and updated second edition of Astrobiology offers an introductory text that explores the structure of living things, the formation of the elements required for life in the Universe, the biological and geological history of the Earth, and the habitability of other planets. Written by a noted expert on the topic, the book examines many of the major conceptual foundations in astrobiology, which cover a diversity of traditional fields including chemistry, biology, geosciences, physics, and astronomy.
The book explores many profound questions such as: How did life originate on Earth? How has life persisted on Earth for over three billion years? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? What is the future of life on Earth? Astrobiology is centered on investigating the past and future of life on Earth by looking beyond Earth to get the answers. Astrobiology links the diverse scientific fields needed to understand life on our own planet and, potentially, life beyond. This new second edition:
- Expands on information about the nature of astrobiology and why it is useful
- Contains a new chapter “What is Life?” that explores the history of attempts to understand life
- Contains 20% more material on the astrobiology of Mars, icy moons, the structure of life, and the habitability of planets
- New ‘Discussion Boxes’ to stimulate debate and thought about key questions in astrobiology
- New review and reflection questions for each chapter to aid learning
- New boxes describing the careers of astrobiologists and how they got into the subject
- Offers revised and updated information throughout to reflect the latest advances in the field
Written for students of life sciences, physics, astronomy and related disciplines, the updated edition of Astrobiology is an essential introductory text that includes recent advances to this dynamic field.
Acknowledgments xvii
About the Companion Website xix
1 Astrobiology 1
2 What is Life? 17
3 Matter and Life 33
4 The Molecular Structure of Life 59
5 The Cellular Structure of Life 87
6 Energy for Life 121
7 The Limits of Life 161
8 The Tree of Life 189
9 The Universe, the Solar System, and the Elements of Life 217
10 Astrochemistry: Carbon in Space 249
11 Early Earth: The First Billion Years 267
12 The Origin of Life 283
13 Early Life on Earth 305
14 The Geology of a HabitableWorld 329
15 The Co-evolution of Life and a Planet: The Rise of Oxygen 363
16 Mass Extinctions 383
17 The Habitability of Planetary Bodies 403
18 The Astrobiology of Mars 425
19 Ocean Worlds and Icy Moons 471
20 Exoplanets and the Search for Life 499
21 The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 529
22 Our Civilization 547
Appendix 571
Glossary 577
Index 601
Charles S. Cockell is Professor of Astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
