Origins of life / Freeman Dyson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dyson, Freeman J.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Life--Origin.

Life.

Physical Description:

ix, 100 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Edition:

Revised edition.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, U.K. ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Summary:

How did life on Earth originate? Did replication or metabolism come first in the history of life? In this extensively rewritten second edition, Freeman Dyson examines these questions and discusses the two main theories that try to explain how naturally occurring chemicals could organize themselves into living creatures.

The majority view is that life began with replicating molecules, the precursors of modern genes. The minority belief is that random populations of molecules evolved metabolic activities before exact replication existed and that natural selection drove the evolution of cells toward greater complexity for a long time without the benefit of genes. Dyson analyzes both of these theories with reference to recent important discoveries by geologists and biologists, aiming to stimulate new experiments that could help decide which theory is correct.

Since the first edition of this book was published in 1985, revolutionary discoveries have been made in biology, genetics, and geology, casting new light on the questions of the origins of life. Molecular biologists discovered ribozymes, enzymes made of RNA. Geneticists discovered that many of the most ancient creatures are thermophilic, living in hot environments. Geologists discovered evidence of life in the most ancient of all terrestrial rocks in Greenland.

This second edition covers the enormous advances that have been made in biology and geology in the past decade and a half and the impact they have had on our ideas about how life began. Freeman Dyson has extensively rewritten this second edition, a clearly written, fascinating book that will appeal to anyone interested in the origins of life.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Illustrious Predecessors 1

Chapter 2 Experiments and Theories 22

Chapter 3 A Toy Model 48

Chapter 4 Open Questions 72.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 93-95) and index.

ISBN:

0521626684

OCLC:

40964815