| Nota di contenuto |
Intro -- Preface -- Objectives -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- 1: Prologue -- 1.1 Genesis -- 1.2 Early Theories of the Origin of Life -- 1.3 Panspermia -- 1.4 Abiogenesis: The Oparin-Haldane Theory -- 1.5 The Miller-Urey Experiment: Life in a Test Tube -- 1.6 Clue from Outer Space -- 1.7 Conclusions -- References -- 2: Defining Life -- 2.1 What Is Life? -- 2.2 Attributes of Life -- 2.3 Attempts to Define Life -- 2.4 Conclusions -- References -- 3: Biological Information Systems -- 3.1 The Concept of Information in Biology -- 3.2 Biological Information Systems -- 3.3 Where Did Life's Information Systems Begin? -- 3.4 Destruction of Information: The Key to Abiogenesis -- 3.5 Transfer of Information -- 3.6 Prebiotic Information Systems -- 3.7 Conclusions -- References -- 4: Origin of Life: A Model of Hierarchical Complexity -- 4.1 The Complexity of Living Systems -- 4.2 The Hierarchy of Prebiotic Synthesis of Organic Compounds -- 4.3 The Cosmic Stage -- 4.4 The Geological Stage -- 4.5 The Chemical Stage -- 4.6 The Digital Information Stage -- 4.7 The Biological Stage -- 4.8 Conclusions -- References -- 5: Cosmic Connections -- 5.1 Supernova Explosion and the Origin of the Solar System -- 5.2 Asteroids and Comets -- 5.3 The Hadean Eon: The Origin of Earth and the Moon -- 5.4 Moon-Forming Impact and Iron Catastrophe -- 5.5 After the Moon's Formation -- 5.6 Collision and Creation: The Building Blocks of Life -- 5.7 The Solvent of Life -- 5.8 Conclusions -- References -- 6: The Cradle of Life -- 6.1 Geological Constraints on the Origin of Life -- 6.2 A Habitable Eoarchean World -- 6.2.1 Eoarchean Crustal Evolution -- 6.2.2 Impact Origin of Archean Cratons -- 6.3 Habitat of Hyperthermophiles: A Window to Life's Beginnings -- 6.4 Hydrothermal Systems and the Prebiotic Environment.
6.5 Geologic Setting of Hydrothermal Systems -- 6.5.1 Submarine Hydrothermal Vents -- 6.5.1.1 Black Smokers -- 6.5.1.2 Lost City -- 6.5.2 Arguments Against Submarine Hydrothermal Vents -- 6.5.3 Terrestrial Hydrothermal Systems -- 6.5.3.1 Darwin's Warm Little Pond Revisited -- 6.5.3.2 Impact-Generated Hydrothermal Crater Lakes -- 6.6 Morphology and Distribution of the Impact Crater Lakes -- 6.7 Reconstruction of Impact Crater Lakes in the Vaalbara Supercontinent -- 6.8 Microbial Colonization in Impact Crater Lakes -- 6.9 The Plausible Cradle for Life's Beginnings -- 6.10 Conclusions -- References -- 7: Bioenergetics and Primitive Metabolism -- 7.1 Thermodynamics and Energy Conversions -- 7.2 Energy Sources for Emerging Life -- 7.3 Global Energy Sources -- 7.3.1 Solar Energy -- 7.3.2 Impact Shock Waves -- 7.4 Energy Sources in Localized Environments -- 7.4.1 Thermal Energy -- 7.4.2 Chemical Energy -- 7.4.3 Electrochemical Energy -- 7.5 Metabolic Energy -- 7.5.1 The Origin of Metabolism -- 7.5.2 The Role of Mineral Surfaces in Protometabolism -- 7.5.3 Chemical Energy for Protometabolism -- 7.5.4 Chemiosmotic Energy -- 7.6 Conclusions -- References -- 8: Chemical Stage: The Analog Information System -- 8.1 Carbon Chemistry and Life -- 8.2 The Crater Vent Environment: A Simmering Cauldron -- 8.2.1 The Primordial Soup in Crater Basins -- 8.2.2 Self-Assembly Processes -- 8.2.3 The Analog World -- 8.3 Chiral Selection of Monomers -- 8.4 Conversion of Nucleobases to Nucleotides -- 8.5 Polymerization of Monomers by Condensation Reactions -- 8.5.1 Polymerization of Monomers on Mineral Surfaces -- 8.5.2 Polymerization Driven by Evaporation -- 8.5.3 Polymerization by Condensation Agents -- 8.6 Conclusions -- References -- 9: The Lipid Membrane: Encapsulating Life -- 9.1 Molecular Self-Assembly of the Primitive Membrane.
9.2 Formation of the Lipid Membrane -- 9.3 Primitive Amphiphilic Cell Membranes -- 9.4 Permeability of the Primitive Lipid Membrane -- 9.5 Encapsulation of Polymers -- 9.6 Insertion of Peptides into the Lipid Bilayer Membrane -- 9.7 Growth and Division of Protocells -- 9.8 The Phospholipid Membrane -- 9.9 Conclusions -- References -- 10: The RNA World: Reality or Dogma? -- 10.1 Structure of the RNA Molecule -- 10.1.1 Nonenzymatic Synthesis of RNA -- 10.2 Replication of RNA -- 10.2.1 Base Pairing and Self-Replication of RNA Molecules -- 10.2.2 RNA Replication by Ribozymes -- 10.3 The RNA World -- 10.3.1 Artificial Ribozymes -- 10.4 Flaws in the RNA World -- 10.5 Molecular Cooperation: An Alternative to the RNA World -- 10.6 Constructing a Peptide/RNA World -- 10.7 Conclusions -- References -- 11: Noncoding RNAs: The Hybrid Information System -- 11.1 Noncoding RNAs -- 11.2 The Origin of Ribozymes -- 11.3 The Origin of Transfer RNAs -- 11.4 The Origin of Bridge Peptide, Pre-aaRS, and aaRS Enzymes -- 11.5 The Origin of Ribosomes -- 11.6 Components of the Translation Machine -- 11.7 Conclusions -- References -- 12: The First Gene Before DNA: The Digital Revolution -- 12.1 Aminoacyl-tRNA -- 12.2 The Late Digital Revolution -- 12.3 Selection of Amino Acids -- 12.4 Processing and Assembly of mRNAs: The Emergence of Genes -- 12.5 Piecemeal Buildup of Codon Sequences in Pre-mRNA by Charged Pre-tRNA -- 12.6 Random Linking of Codons and Polycodons to the Pre-mRNA Chain -- 12.7 Encoding the Message -- 12.8 Encoding Properties of Pre-tRNA and tRNA Molecules -- 12.8.1 The Memory Transfer Model -- 12.9 Sequential Evolution of Codon-Amino Acid Assignments -- 12.10 Visualization of Encoding mRNA Molecules: The Origin of Genes -- 12.11 Conclusions -- References -- 13: A Code Script for Life -- 13.1 Cracking the Genetic Code.
13.2 Characteristics of the Genetic Code -- 13.3 The Origin of the Genetic Code -- 13.4 The Stereochemical Theory -- 13.5 Coevolution Hypothesis -- 13.6 Integrated Coevolution Theory -- 13.6.1 Coevolution of the Translation Machine and the Genetic Code -- 13.6.2 Coevolution of Genes and the Genetic Code -- 13.6.3 Flow of Information from Nucleic Acids to Proteins -- 13.7 The Onset of Darwinian Evolution -- 13.8 Encoding and Decoding of Digital Information -- 13.9 Conclusions -- References -- 14: The Advent of Proteins -- 14.1 Prebiotic Protein Synthesis -- 14.2 Protein Structure and Function -- 14.2.1 Protein Folding -- 14.2.2 Enzymes -- 14.3 Protein/RNA World -- 14.4 The Evolution of Phospholipid Membranes -- 14.4.1 The Origin of the Phospholipid Membrane -- 14.4.2 The Plasma Membrane -- 14.5 The Protein-Rich Cytoplasm of Protocells -- 14.6 Gene Regulation of Protocells and Information Flow -- 14.7 Conclusions -- References -- 15: The Virus World in Deep Time -- 15.1 Viruses: Pirates of the Cellular World -- 15.2 The Structure of Viruses: Hybrid Components -- 15.2.1 Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- 15.2.2 Viral Proteins and Enzymes -- 15.2.3 Nucleic Acids -- 15.3 Viruses and Evolution -- 15.4 The Origin of Viruses -- 15.5 The Prebiotic Origin of mRNA Viruses -- 15.6 The Beginning of the Virus World -- 15.6.1 Pre-virus -- 15.6.2 mRNA Virus -- 15.7 The Replication Cycle of mRNA Viruses: Digital Renaissance -- 15.8 Primordial Protocellular Life -- 15.9 Retroviruses -- 15.10 The Origin of Retroviruses -- 15.11 The Origin of DNA Viruses from mRNA Viruses -- 15.12 Conclusions -- References -- 16: DNA Takes Over -- 16.1 The Birth of DNA -- 16.2 The Evolutionary Advantage of DNA Over RNA -- 16.3 DNA Structure -- 16.4 DNA Transcription -- 16.5 DNA Replication -- 16.6 The Flow of Genetic Information.
16.7 The Immortal Coil -- 16.8 Conclusions -- References -- 17: First Life -- 17.1 From Protocells to First Cells -- 17.2 Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction -- 17.2.1 Quorum Sensing: Communication of Primitive Cells -- 17.3 Cell Division -- 17.4 Genetic Variation of First Cells -- 17.5 LUCA: The Genetic Portrait of the Ancestor of Life -- 17.6 Archaea: Emergence of a New Domain of Life -- 17.7 Conclusions -- References -- 18: The Habitat and Nature of Archean Life -- 18.1 The Hadean Environment and Life -- 18.2 Eoarchean and Paleoarchean Biosignatures -- 18.2.1 Chemofossils: Indirect Evidence for Life -- 18.2.2 Microfossils -- 18.2.3 Stromatolites -- 18.3 The Earliest Records of Life on Earth -- 18.3.1 Microfossils from the Nuvvuagittuq Craton of Canada -- 18.3.2 Stromatolites from the Isua Craton of Greenland -- 18.3.3 The Vaalbara Supercontinent of Australia and South Africa -- 18.3.3.1 Microfossils and Stromatolites from the Pilbara Carton, Australia -- 18.3.3.2 Stromatolites and Microfossils from the Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa -- 18.3.4 Microfossils and Stromatolites from the Iron Ore Group of the Singhbhum Craton of India -- 18.4 Evolution of the Archean Biosphere -- 18.4.1 The Habitat of Early Microbial Mats -- 18.4.2 Metabolic Evolution of Archean Microbes -- 18.4.2.1 Chemoautotrophic Hyperthermophiles -- 18.4.2.2 Photoautotrophs: I. Anoxygenic Photosynthetic Bacteria -- 18.4.2.3 Photoautotrophs: II. Oxygenic Photosynthetic Bacteria -- 18.5 Radiation of Archean Microbial Communities -- 18.6 Conclusions -- References -- 19: Life Beyond Earth -- 19.1 Are We Alone in the Universe? -- 19.2 Astrobiology -- 19.3 Searching for Life in the Solar System -- 19.3.1 Venus -- 19.3.2 Mars -- 19.3.3 The Icy Moons of Jupiter -- 19.3.4 Saturn's Moons -- 19.3.5 Neptune's Moons -- 19.3.6 Pluto.
19.3.7 Exploration of Asteroids.
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From Stardust to First Cells : The Origin and Evolution of Early Life
