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Record Nr. |
UNINA9910455203603321 |
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Autore |
Gale J (Joseph), <1931-> |
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Titolo |
Astrobiology of Earth [[electronic resource] ] : the emergence, evolution, and future of life on a planet in turmoil / / Joseph Gale |
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Pubbl/distr/stampa |
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Oxford, : Oxford University Press, 2009 |
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ISBN |
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1-282-32865-4 |
9786612328657 |
0-19-154835-9 |
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Descrizione fisica |
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1 online resource (262 p.) |
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Disciplina |
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Soggetti |
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Life - Origin |
Exobiology |
Electronic books. |
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Lingua di pubblicazione |
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Formato |
Materiale a stampa |
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Livello bibliografico |
Monografia |
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Note generali |
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Description based upon print version of record. |
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Nota di bibliografia |
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Includes bibliographical references and index. |
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Nota di contenuto |
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Contents; Introduction; Symbols and abbreviations; 1 What is life? Why water?; What is life?; Why water?; Summary; 2 The universe from the perspective of biology; Some special units of measurement used in astronomy; Time; Biologically significant events occurring in the universe; Stars; Galaxies; Planets of other star systems; Comets and asteroids; A brief survey of some other denizens of the universe; Galactic and Circumstellar Habitable Zones; Summary; 3 The Solar System and life on Earth: I; Main components of the Solar System; Our star, the Sun; The heliosphere and solar wind |
The Sun's short-wave EM radiationSolar radiation and the temperature balance of the Earth's surface; Solar radiation and photosynthesis; Short-wave solar radiation, signals, and vision; The concept of a Circumstellar Habitable Zone (CHZ); Planets of the Solar System and life on Earth; Some extraterrestrial sites in the Solar System which may support life; Summary; 4 The Solar System and life on Earth: II; Comets and asteroids; Planetary satellites and life; Earth-a unique planet of the Solar System; Cosmic radiation and the solar wind; Summary |
5 Early and present Earth and its circumnavigation of the SunEarly Earth; Motions of Earth in its circumnavigation of the Sun; Significance |
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of the Moon to life on Earth; Jupiter-Earth's guardian angel (perhaps); Summary; 6 Origin of life and photosynthesis; What do we know, what can we know of the origin of life?; Panspermia; The empirical 'bottom-up' approach to understanding the 'rapid' appearance of life. Can we produce life in a test tube?; Some conjectures; Hypotheses concerning the origin of life on Earth; The origin of photosynthesis; The evolution of photosynthesis |
Consequences of lack of birth control in plantsSummary; 7 Setting the stage for the evolution of life on a tumultuous planet; Earth's 'third atmosphere'; Oxygen, UV radiation, and early ice ages; Some biological effects of the oxygen revolution; Carbon dioxide in Earth's third atmosphere; Composition of Earth's atmosphere in the late Quaternary period; Major stress factors which affected the evolution of life; Mass extinctions in the fossil record: local and planet-wide catastrophes; Conclusions; Summary; 8 Mechanisms of evolution: from first cells and extremophiles to complex life |
The dating problemTiming of the main events in evolution; Some early ideas about evolution; Some recent theories of the mechanism of evolution; The continuing coevolution of molecular biology and evolutionary theory; Extremophiles; Summary; 9 The evolution of humans and their interaction with the biosphere; Human origins; Human population; Homo sapiens sapiens (horribilis horribilis?) and the biosphere; Politically correct environmental science; How many people can the world support?; A note on land and energy resources; Summary; 10 In search of extraterrestrial life |
A short history of the origins of astrobiology |
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Sommario/riassunto |
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The study of life in our universe has been given the name 'astrobiology'. It is a relatively new subject, but not a new discipline since it brings together several mature fields of science including astronomy, geology, biology, and climatology. An understanding of the singular conditions that allowed the only example of life that we know exists to emerge and survive on our turbulent planet is essential if we are to seek answers to two fundamental questions facing humanity: will life (and especially human life) continue on Earth, and does life exist elsewhere in the universe? Astrobiology of Ear |
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2. |
Record Nr. |
UNINA9910830963603321 |
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Titolo |
Gene flow from GM plants [[electronic resource] /] / edited by Guy M. Poppy and Michael J. Wilkinson |
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Pubbl/distr/stampa |
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Oxford ; ; Ames, Iowa, : Blackwell Pub., 2005 |
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ISBN |
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1-281-32012-9 |
9786611320126 |
0-470-98495-3 |
0-470-98849-5 |
0-470-99410-X |
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Descrizione fisica |
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1 online resource (258 p.) |
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Collana |
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Biological sciences series |
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Altri autori (Persone) |
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PoppyGuy M |
WilkinsonMichael J |
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Disciplina |
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Soggetti |
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Transgenic plants |
Transgenic plants - Risk assessment |
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Lingua di pubblicazione |
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Formato |
Materiale a stampa |
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Livello bibliografico |
Monografia |
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Note generali |
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Description based upon print version of record. |
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Nota di bibliografia |
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Includes bibliographical references and index. |
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Nota di contenuto |
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Gene Flow from GM Plants; Contents; List of Contributors; Preface; 1 Where science fits into the GM debate; 1.1 Background; 1.2 Regulation; 1.3 Stimulus for research; 1.4 Vigorous campaigning; 1.5 The GM Nation Public Debate; 1.6 Gene flow issues raised in the public debate; 1.6.1 GM is unnatural; 1.6.2 Genetic contamination; 1.6.3 GM and organic agriculture cannot coexist; 1.6.4 GM crops will damage the environment; 1.7 Findings of the debate; 1.8 Discussion; 1.8.1 GM crops have become 'a lightning rod' for a range of concerns |
1.8.2 Difficulty of holding a rational discussion of GM crops in context1.8.2.1 Method not mission; 1.8.2.2 The FSEs raised wider issues; 1.8.3 Broader agricultural issues; 1.8.4 Political context; References; 2 Crop biotechnology - the state of play; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 A need for better tools in crop production systems; 2.2.1 Crop production and sustainability; 2.3 The current state of GM crops; 2.3.1 Herbicide tolerance; 2.3.2 Insect protection; 2.3.3 Virus resistance in plants; 2.4 Future developments; 2.4.1 Expansion of Bt and HT; 2.4.2 |
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Other pest resistance traits |
2.4.3 Tolerance to abiotic stress2.4.4 Output traits; 2.4.5 Other GM plants; 2.4.6 Gene flow containment; 2.5 Summary; Acknowledgements; References; 3 Pollen dispersal vectored by wind or insects; 3.1 Introduction; 3.1.1 The fascination with pollination; 3.1.2 The pollination of crop plants; 3.1.3 Pollen dispersal, gene flow and GM crops; 3.2 Evolutionary and ecological aspects of pollination biology; 3.2.1 Evolutionary aspects of wind-mediated pollination; 3.2.2 Adaptations for wind pollination; 3.2.3 Airborne pollen recording for allergy sufferers |
3.2.4 Evolutionary and ecological aspects of entomophily3.2.5 Adaptations for entomophily; 3.3 Managing insect pollination for crop production; 3.3.1 Crops benefiting from wild and managed pollinators; 3.3.2 The use of managed pollinators; 3.4 Experiments and observations on vectors in oilseed rape, beet and maize; 3.4.1 Uncertainties on the relative importance of different vectors in oilseed rape; 3.4.2 Oilseed rape cross-pollination: observations; 3.4.3 Oilseed rape cross pollination: experimental data; 3.4.4 Other crops; 3.5 Processes and patterns with wind-mediated pollination |
3.5.1 Deposition, turbulence and impaction3.5.2 Long-distance dispersal; 3.5.3 Local barriers, directionality and edge effects; 3.6 Processes and patterns with insect-mediated pollination; 3.6.1 Functional groupings of pollinators; 3.6.2 Common processes: local dispersal; 3.6.3 Processes and patterns for social insects; 3.6.4 Edge effects in recipient patches; 3.6.5 Patchiness and pollinator behaviour; 3.6.6 Influence of landscape patterns on pollen dispersal; 3.7 Modelling pollen dispersal based on vectors; 3.7.1 General models; 3.7.2 Modelling elements of bee behaviour |
3.8 Lessons for the management of gene flow from studies on vectors |
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Sommario/riassunto |
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Gene flow is not unique to genetically modified (GM) crops, but the possibility of the spread of transgenic DNA to wild and domesticated relatives raises a new set of issues for scientists and policymakers to consider. Unfortunately, we are still too often unable to quantify the risks of ecological damage associated with gene flow. This is due partly to the huge breadth of knowledge required to assemble a comprehensive risk assessment. For example, many scientists active in research on the mechanics of gene flow nevertheless lack a deep understanding of what is required to identify, characteri |
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