Genesis: The Scientific Quest for Life's Origin
Page 39
Zimmer, C. 1993. The first cell. Discover (Nov.):73-78.
Zimmer, C. 2004. What came before DNA? Discover (June):34-41.
Zubay, G., and T. Mui. 2001. Prebiotic synthesis of nucleotides. Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere 31:87-102.
Index
A
Abiosignatures
Acetate
Aconitate
Adenine
Adenine–naphthalene–imide molecule
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
Aerosol life
Akilia rocks
Alanine
Alaska, Arctic “patterned grounds”
Alberts, Bruce
Allamandola, Louis
Allan Hills meteorites
Altman, Sidney
Aluminum
Alvin (submersible)
Alzheimer's disease
Ambulocetus
Amherst College
Amino acids.
See also individual amino acids
antiquity of
as catalysts
chirality
in hydrothermal environments
long-chain
macromolecule formation
and metabolic protolife
from meteorites
Miller–Urey experiment
mineral bonding to
peptide formation
polymerization on mineral surfaces
racemization
sample preparation
Strecker synthesis
thioester bonding
from ultracold reactions
Ammonia
Ant colonies
Antarctic Search for Meteorites program
Anthracene
Antibody tests for microbe fossils
Apatite
Apex Chert fossils
Arabinose
Archaea
Archean eon
Aristotle
Armstrong, Karen
Arrhenius, Gustaf
Artificial intelligence
Artificially Expanded Genetic Information System (AEGIS)
Aspartic acid
Asteroids
Atmospheric aerosols
Australian Centre for Astrobiology
Australian Geological Survey Organisation
Australian National University
Autocatalytic
cycle
networks
vesicles
Autotrophic life
Awramik, Stan
B
Bacteria.
See also Microbes
genetic engineering
magnetotactic
organic molecules in E. coli
photosynthesizing;
see also Cyanobacteria
phylogenetic analysis
testing fossils for
Bada, Jeffrey
Bak, Per
Bangham, Alex
Barbrook, Adrian
Baross, John
Bartel, David
Basilosaurus
Behe, Michael
Belousov–Zhabotinski systems
Bénard cells
Benner, Steven
Bernal, John Desmond
Bernstein, Max
Biofilms.
See also Flat life
Biomolecules
antibodies
antiquity of
assembly;
see also Macromolecules
from asteroid, meteor, or comet impact
emergence of
essential elements
evolution
handedness;
see also Chirality and chiral molecules
hydrocarbons
hydrothermal origins and
from igneous rock
key compounds
Miller–Urey experiment
minimal concentration
modular design
multiple-source hypothesis
number of compounds
polycyclic carbon compounds
productive environments
self-organization
self-replicating
signatures of life
space origins
stability
sterols
synthesis pathways
ultracold environments
Biosignatures
anthracene:phenanthrene ratio
C-12:C-13 isotope ratio
hopanes
ideal characteristics
molecular
oldest markers
Biosphere
Black chert fossils
Blank, Jennifer
Blue marl
BOIDS program
Bovine serum albumin (BSA)
Boyce, Kevin
Brain, human.
See also Consciousness
Brandes, Jay
Brasier, Martin
Briggs, Derek
British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.
Burgess Shale
C
Cairns-Smith, A. G. (Graham)
Calcite
Calcium
California Institute of Technology
Calvert Cliffs Miocene formations
Cambridge University
The Canterbury Tales
Carbohydrates
Carbon.
See also individual compounds
Akilia rock formation
biogenic coals
biomolecular assembly
C-12:C-13 ratio
electron microprobe analysis of fossils
Fischer–Tropsch synthesis
fixation
in hydrothermal conditions
inorganic vs. organic
isotope analysis
mapping fossils
polycyclic compounds
Raman spectroscopy
Carbon dioxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbonate minerals
Carboxylic acids
Carnegie Institution Department of Terrestrial Magnetism
Carnegie Institution Geophysical Laboratory
carbon isotope analysis
detector for Martian life
electron microprobe analysis of fossils
gold-tube experiments
lecturers
work environment
Catalysts
amino acids as
enzymes
minerals as
small molecule
Catastrophists
Cech, Thomas
Cellular life
Cellulose
Center for Radiophysics and Space Research
Central European University
Cerion (Bahamian land snail)
Chance versus necessity
Chaucer, Geoffrey
Chemolithoautotroph
Chirality and chiral molecules
amino acids
beta decay events and
calcite–amino acid experiments
chromatographic analysis
dating applications
D:L ratios
local symmetry breaking and
magnetic fields and
on mineral surfaces
and pharmaceutical properties
polymers
racemization and
selection experiments
selection process
separating left- and right-handed molecules
sugars
Cholesterol
Chromium
Chromosome synthesis
Chyba, Christopher
Citrate
Citric acid cycle
Clay
amino acid polymerization on
as catalyst
chemical composition
experiments
RNA encapsulation
as scaffolds for organic compounds
self-replication
surface electrostatic charge
Clay life
“crystal genes”
evolution and natural selection
experiments
>
hypothesis
testable features of
Cleland, Carol
Climate change
Clinton administration
CO dehydrogenase
Cobalt sulfides
Cody, George
Coenzymes
Cold. See Ultracold vacuum experiments
Collagen
Comets
Competition.
See also Evolution;
Molecular evolution
autocatalytic networks
Complex emergent systems. See also Metabolic protolife
biomolecules
chemical
climate and
competition and
concentration of agents
consciousness
cycling of energy flows
describing
development
energy flows through
evolution
examples
interconnectivity of agents
mathematical modeling
and natural laws
nonextensive entropy
patterns of behavior in
predictability
self-criticality
simulations
Consciousness, emergence of
Conservation of energy, law of
Contamination
in chiral-selection experiments
of meteorites
tracers, for rock samples
ubiquitousness of
ultraclean-facility precautions
Continuity, principle of
Copper sulfides
Corliss, Jack
Cornell University
Creationism
Crick, Francis
Crystals
attraction of chiral molecules to chiral surfaces
formation process
Cyanic acid
Cyanobacteria
Cyclical processes
Cytosine
D
Dala Deep Gas
Dana, Edward
Darwin, Charles
Davies, Paul C. W.
de Duve, Christian
Deamer, David
Deep hot biosphere
Deep life.
See also Hydrothermal-origins hypothesis;
Undersea volcanic vents
discovery of
groundwater ecosystems
reproduction and growth rates
Defining life
bottom-up approach
emergence and
ethical issues
experimental strategy
fundamental attributes
NASA's working definition
scientific efforts
subjectiveness in
theological and philosophical debates
top-down approach
water characterization analogy
Dembski, William
Deoxyribose.
See also DNA
Department of Energy (U.S.)
Deuterium
Development
DNA
biosynthesis pathways
evolution
highly conserved sequences
palindromic strands
protein interdependence
replication
self-complementary strands
structure
swapping by microbes
Dobson, Christopher
Doudna, Jennifer
Drug design
Dual-origins model
Dunham, Rachel
Dyson, Freeman
E
Earth, prebiotic
atmosphere
climate
formation
and metabolic protolife
meteorite/asteroid impacts
ocean
reverse cytric acid cycle
East Driefontein Mine
East Pacific Rise
Eciton burchelli (army ant)
Emergence
of biomolecules
common characteristics
of complexity;
see Complex emergent systems
concept
crystal nucleation analogy
“law of”
and origin of life
sequence of events
vesicles
Energy sources, life-triggering
asteroid impacts
chemical
extremophile microbes as producers
geothermal
lightning
mineral surfaces
photosynthesis
solar radiation
Enspel Shale
Entropy
nonextensive
thermodynamic law of
Enzymes
Equilibrium
Eschenmoser, Albert
Escherichia coli
Eukaryotes
Europa (moon)
Evolution, clay
Evolution by natural selection.
See also Molecular evolution
at cellular level
last common ancestor
missing links
opposition to theory of
pace of
random variation
Extraterrestrial life
abiomarkers
alternative biochemistry for
emergence of
Extremophiles
F
Fatty acid synthase
Fedo, Christopher
Feldspars
Ferris, James
Ferrodoxins
Filley, Rose
Filley, Tim
Finding Nemo (film)
Fischer–Tropsch synthesis
Flat life
Fogel, Marilyn
Food and Drug Administration
Formaldehyde
Formic acid
Formose reaction
Fossils
Allan Hills meteorite
amino acid D:L ratio
antibody tests for
Apex Chert controversy
atoms
biochemical pathways as
bones
Burgess Shale
carbon isotope analysis
carbon mapping
coal
contamination of
electron microprobe analysis
field testing for
hydrothermal sites
Isuaphaera
Laser-Raman imaging
microbes
oldest
Rhynie, Scotland plants
sample extraction
three-dimensional imaging
Fox, Sidney
Freund, Friedemann
Friese, Mark
Fructose
Fujikawa, Shelly
G
Galap‡gos Islands
Gamow, George
Garnet
Gas chromatography
Gee, Harry
Gell-Mann, Murray
Genetic engineering
Genetic protolife
amino acids and
catalyst
Clay World and
competition
continuity in
critcisms of
encapsulation
molecular phylogeny and
precursors;
see also PAH World
and reproduction
RNA World
self-replicating peptide
test of
Genetics. See also DNA;
RNA
defined
metabolism linked to
synthetic molecules
Geophysical Laboratory. See Carnegie Institution
George Mason University
George Washington University
Ghadiri, Reza
Giant gas gun experiments
Gilbert, Walter
Gish, Duane
Glucose
Glutamic acid
Glycine
Glycolysis
God
Gold, Thomas
Goldschmidt, Victor M.
/>
Goodfriend, Glenn
Gordon Research Conferences
Gould, Stephen J.
“Grand Unified Theory of Biology”
Graphite
Gravity
Greenberg, Mayo
Greenland, Akilia rock formation
Greigite
Guanine
H
Hadean eon
Hadidiacos, Christos
Haldane, J. B. S.
Hall, Allan
Hanczyk, Martin
Hansen, Jonas Lundbek
Hanson, R. Brooks
Hare, Ed
Harvard University
Haywood, Alan
Heinen, Wolfgang
Helium
Heterotrophic life
Hexabenzocoronene
High-resolution transmission electron microscopy
High temperature, high pressure environments. See also Hydrothermal-origins hypothesis
amino acid stability in
carbon deposits
citric acid degradation in
flat life in
gold-bag experiments
gold-tube experiments
iron sulfide experiments
minerals as catalysts
thioesters
Hoffman, Sarah
Hofmeister, Anne
Holland, John
Homochirality.
See also Chirality and chiral molecules
Hooker, Joseph
Hopanes
antibodies
biosignatures
discovery
Howe, Christopher
Humpane
Huntress, Wes
Hydrocarbons. See also individual compounds
biomolecules
from living cells vs. nonbiological processes
membrane-forming
primordial
and zeolite channels
Hydrogen cyanide
Hydrogen gas
Hydrogen sulfide
Hydrothermal-origins hypothesis
amino acid stability
and biomolecule range
carbon fixation
credit for
criticisms of
energy source
experiments
and extraterrestrial life
Fischer–Tropsch synthesis
iron–sulfur minerals and
lipid self-organization
and macromolecular formation
pyruvate experiments
Hydroxides
Hydroxyapatite
I
Igneous rock, as biomolecule source
Imidazole
Imide
Impacts
Institute of Molecular Evolution
Intelligent design
Interstellar clouds
Iron carbonate
Iron complexes
Iron sulfides
Iron–Sulfur World
assumptions
autotrophic metabolism
criticisms of
energy source
experimental verification
flat life
hydrothermal vent minerals and
Popperian philosophy and
rate of emergent process
reverse citric acid cycle
testability
Isoprene
Isotopes
Isua rocks
J
Johnson Space Center
Joyce, Gerald
Jurassic Park (film)
K
Kauffman, Stuart
Kerogen
Kessler, Mark
Knoll, Andrew
Korenowski, Gerry
L
Lahav, Noam