Astrobiology: Physical Origin, Biological Evolution & Spatial Distribution

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.