by Nick Lane
Alzheimer, Alois 302
apoptosis 237, 265
beta-pleated sheet 174
Alzheimer’s disease 290–1, 301,
archaea
beta rays 113
328–9
discovery of 157
BHA (butylated
aluminium and mercury in 302
domain of 157
hydroxyanisole ) 195
amyloid in 302, 304–5, 306
enzymes from 161
Bilinski, Tomasz 204
ApoE4 as risk factor 290–1, 303,
genome sequences of 161
bilirubin 204–5
305–6, 309, 310, 329
isolation of 160–1
birds 255
APP as risk factor 303
properties of 158–9
black rain 110
Down syndrome and 304, 309
aristocrats 233
Black Sea 39, 40, 196
excito-toxicity in 307
Aristotle 232
Blane, Sir Gilbert 178
herpes simplex as risk factor 302,
arthropod 58
blooms, algal and
305–6, 309
ascorbyl radical, see vitamin C
cyanobacterial 40, 48, 65
microglia in 307
aspirin 309, 309 n.
Bolsover dragonfly 76, 101,
plaques in 302, 304–5, 307
Atmar, Wirt 224–5
199
Presenilin genes as risk factors
ATP 50–51, 123, 166, 281
Bosphorus 39
303
Austad, Steve 230, 238
Boston University 329
tangles in 302, 304–5
Australian Geological Survey 36
Boyle, Robert 4
tau in 304–5
autoimmune disease 328, 332
Bradyrhizobium japonicum 166
timing of 291, 304
Avogadro’s number 123
Brazier, Martin 68
vitamin E in 306, 309
Azotobacter vinelandii 163
Briggs, Derek 55
amber 87–9
Brinkley, John 214
Amber Research Laboratory,
B
British Admiralty 178
New York 88
British Antarctic Survey 102
Ames, Bruce 124, 264–5, 339
Bacon, Francis 341
Brocks, Jochen 36, 42
amphipods 102
bacteria
Brongniart, Charles 76
amyloid 302, 304, 306, 310
binary fission of 151, 220, 222
Brown-Sequard, Charles
anaemia
conjugation of 151, 219, 220
Edouard 213
sickle-cell 240, 286, 327
in gut 196
Budd, George 179
thalassaemia 189 n., 286, 327
kingdom of 149
Bulpitt, Chris 333 n.
anaerobic
metal-binding in 198–9
Burgess shale 54
organisms 16, 17, 132, 196–9
mucus capsule, see mucus
respiration, see respiration
properties of 151
C
angiosperms 82, 91
bacteriochlorophyll 137,
anisogamy 281
144
Caenorhabditis elegans, see
Anomalocaris 55
bacteriorhodopsin 162
C. elegans
anoxia 165
Bacteroides 196
caeruloplasmin 193, 204
INDEX • 367
Cailletet, Louis 120
on early Earth 139–41, 170
copper 122, 184–5, 191, 193,
Cairns-Smith, Graham 26, 217
evolution of 143–4, 170
306
California Institute of
haem catalase 140
Cretaceous 86, 87, 95–7, 98
Technology see Caltech
manganese catalase 141
Crichton, Michael 87
calorie restriction 229, 259–61,
on Mars 145
Crick, Francis 174, 176
293, 323, 339
in photosynthesis 139, 170,
crustaceans 101
Caltech 48, 175–6
319
Cunningham, Orval 7
Cambrian
C. elegans 243–5, 246,-7, 248
curcumin 333
animals 55, 57, 59, 70, 74, 321
cell division
Curie, Eve 108
explosion 21, 28, 54, 60, 321
in bacteria 151
Curie Institute, Paris 109
Cambridge University 55, 118,
in eukaryotes 150
Curie, Irène 107, 109
172, 173, 274
cell wall 151, 158
Curie, Marie 107–9, 113
Cameron, Ewan 175–6, 180,
centenarians 242, 327, 332–3,
Curie, Pierre 107–8
187, 189, 190
334
Curie point 107
cancer 268, 272–3, 275, 311,
Center for Study of Democratic
cyanobacteria
312–13, 328
Institutions 175
in ecosystem 196
Canfield, Donald 41–43, 67,
CFCs 116
evolution of 35–6
68, 85, 86, 89
Chapelle, Gauthier 101,
oxygen production by 19, 35,
carbon
102–104
36, 48, 200
burial 24, 37, 63, 65, 69, 79–80,
charcoal 79
cycads 82, 91
82, 84, 85, 89, 320
fossil record 20, 95, 96, 98
cyclosporin 326, 326 n.
isotopes, definition of 33
reflectance 96
cysteine 206
isotope method of calculating
Chernobyl, Ukraine 109, 111
cytochrome c 155, 261, 261 n.
oxygen level 89–92, 97
Chesapeake Bay crater 97
cytochrome oxidase
isotope ratios in rocks 34–35,
Chicago, University of 97
antioxidant role 163, 170
37, 63, 89–92
chimpanzee 149, 233
on early Earth 169
carbonates 22, 90
Chlamydia pneumoniae 311
evolution of 163–5
equilibrium in sea, air and rock
chlorofluorocarbons 116
in LUCA 162, 164, 168, 319
89
chlorophyll 131
mechanism of 163, 164, 164 n.
isotope ratios in rocks 34
absorbance properties 135–6,
cap carbonates 62
137, 144
D
and rare-earth elements 68
energetics 136
and strontium 66
chloroplasts 50, 150, 153
daf-16: 244–6, 257, 259
carbon dioxide
chordates 58
daf-2: 243–5, 247, 259
as a greenhouse gas 61, 62
chromatin 150
Darwin, Charles 54, 55, 56,
levels in atmosphere 83
cigarette smoke 310
216
in photosynthesis 134
ciliate protozoa 51, 199
Davies, Paul 26, 126, 127, 128
weathering of rocks 22, 61
Clancy, David 247
Davy, Humphry 6
Carboniferous
Clark, William 226–8
Dawkins, Richard 222, 322 n.
carbon dioxide levels in 83
classification of life 149, 157,
Dead Sea 39
and carbon isotopes 90–2
10
death, programmed 227, 237,
coal swamps in 34, 80
, 84–5
Cleveland, Ohio 7
265; see also apoptosis
gigantism 76, 101, 263
Clinton, President 165
De Benedictis, Giovanna 332–3
high oxygen in 20, 77, 92, 327
clock, molecular 57–58
deforestation 25
swamp plants in 94
clones 13, 275, 336–7
de Gray, Aubrey 274 n.
cardiolipin 337–9
Cloud, Preston 28, 47, 70
dehydroascorbate, see
cardiovascular disease 205
coenzyme Q 340
vitamin C
atherosclerosis in 311
collagen 72–3; see also Deinococcus radiodurans 126–7
thrombosis in 215
vitamin C
dementia, see Alzheimer’s
uric acid in 205
hydroxylation of 184
disease
carnitine 181, 318, 339, 340
synthesis of 181, 183–4
deoxyribonucleic acid, see
carotenoids 172, 204
Columbia University 39
DNA
Carroll, Sean 59, 60
Complutense University,
desiccation resistance 73–4
Cartier, Jacques 177
Madrid 255
development, embryonic
Case Western Reserve
Concepción, Maria 240
58–59, 235, 321
University, Cleveland 304
Constantinople 276
Devonian 83
Castresana, José 146, 161–3,
consumers, see respiration
Dewar, James 120
164, 168
continents, equatorial position
diabetes 247–51, 286, 311
catalase 139–41, 170, 202, 208,
of 61, 62
differentiation 273
257–8, 293, 319
Conway Morris, Simon 55
diffusion 98
action of 140–1, 170
Cook, Captain 178
dinosaurs 88
368 • INDEX
diploidy 223, 224
European Molecular Biology
damage to lipids 116, 118–9,
diseases of old age, see age
Laboratory, Heidelberg 146,
125, 186, 195, 317
disposable soma theory 228–9,
161
damage to proteins 116, 118–9,
232–4, 262
euxinic conditions 40
125, 317
in aristocrats 234
evolution; see also specific
definition of 114
and bodily maintenance 228–9,
terms
as indicators of health in cells
275
chemical 17–18
325–6, 13
and calorie restriction 229
trees 161–2
prevention and repair of
in fecundity and lifespan
exercise 340, 342
damage 262–3, 322
229–32, 237–9, 242, 322
extinction, mass 19, 21, 22, 78,
rate of production of 123–4,
in predation and lifespan 230
86
253, 262, 263–7, 317, 323
in sexual maturation 233
in birds and mammals 255–7,
DNA
F
323, 334
in bacteria 151
released by neutrophils 183,
code, see genes
Factor VIII 285
191–3
damage, see free radicals
faeces
scavengers 195, 200, 204–5,
in eukaryotes 150
in animal tracks 57
306; see also antioxidants
helicase 258–9
in carbon burial 69–70, 320
free radical theory of ageing
junk 150, 155, 168
Farrer, Lindsay 329
11–12, 17, 211
mitochondrial 153, 263–4,
fats
Frei, Baltz 188
265–6, 276, 277, 278, 318
fatty acid transport 181
French Atomic Energy
replication 268–9
saturated 337
Commission 46
Dolly the sheep 13, 337
unsaturated 337–9
French Revolution 2
Donahue, Catherine Wolfe 110
FBI 175
freon 116–17
dopamine 185
fecundity 229–34, 322
Freud, Clement 171
double-agent theory 296–301,
Fenton, Henry 118
Fridovich, Irwin 200–1
12, 326–7
Fenton reaction 118, 119
Friedman, David 243
Down syndrome 202, 304, 304
in early oceans 143
fruit 171, 204, 215, 293
n., 309, 310
and vitamin C 186–7, 189
antioxidants in 172, 204,
dragonflies 76–7, 100, 101
fermentation 18–19, 21, 31
211
Drebbel, Cornelius 4
Fermi, Enrico 47
benefits of 172, 211
Drosophila 231, 243, 247, 252,
ferns 82
toxins in 211, 333
278, 293
ferritin 193, 204
shaker mutant 252
fertility 229–34
G
transgenic 257–8, 318 n.
fibroblasts 267, 269, 271, 272
Dudley, Robert 98
fire
Gabon see Oklo
Duke University, North
at different oxygen levels 93
Gaia hypothesis 26, 48, 79–80,
Carolina 200, 206
as limit on atmospheric oxygen
104
Dyson, Freeman 26
78, 79, 92–4, 98
gamma rays 113
retardants 93, 98
Gems, David 247
E
temperature of 95
genes
FixN oxidase 166
cantilever 156
E. coli 163, 201, 207
flavenoids 204
dominant 240
Ediacara 56
flight 13, 77
genetic code 151, 324
egg cell 226, 237
Flying University, Warsaw 106
genetic drift 155
mitochondria in 276–81
food chains 72, 321
housekeeping 225
Einstein, Albert 46, 175
fool’s gold, see iron pyrites
lateral transfer of 154, 155, 160,
electromagnetic spectrum 135
Ford, Henry 236
162, 220
electron spin resonance 317
Foresti, Roberta 209
luxury 225
Elixir of Life 1, 213
Fortey, Richard 55, 58
multiple copies of 219, 220
Ellington, C. P. 77
fossil
preservation of integrity 220
Equisetum 95
charcoal 20, 95, 96, 98
recessive 240
Escherichia coli see E. coli
earliest multicellular animals 57
in susceptibility to disease
eukaryotes
fuels 25
285–8, 333
domain of 149
plants 94
genotype 286–7
evolution of 21, 36, 49–53,
soils 43, 49, 141
thrifty 248–50, 286
320
free radicals 112–113, 306, 310,
germ cells 228, 322
first fossils 49, 152–3, 320
318, 342
germ line 228
properties of 150–1, 321
chain
reactions 116, 186, 195
Geron Corp 268, 269
symbiosis in 50
damage to DNA 124–5, 218,
gerontogenes 243
Europe Against Cancer 172
317, 324
gerontology 215
INDEX • 369
Gerschman, Rebeca 119, 125,
Haldane, J. B. S. 7, 10, 17, 170,
on Mars 129, 141
211, 316
239–40
in photosynthesis 144, 319
Gibbon, Edward 276
Haldane, John Scott 7–8
production in body 123
Gifu International Institute of
Halliwell, Barry 105, 172, 177,
properties of 117–18
Biotechnology, Japan 334
316
in rainwater 142–3
gigantism 13, 21, 76, 101, 199,
Hallucigenia 55
hydrogen sulphide 39, 42,
263; see also Carboniferous Halobacterium salinarum 167,
67–8, 69, 196, 320
Gilbert, Daniel 119, 125, 316
168
in photosynthesis 132–33, 134,
Gilgamesh 212, 269
Hamersley Range, Australia 36,
135, 137, 169, 319
gingko 82
37, 40, 42
hydrothermal
Glasgow, University of 217
Hamlet 284
activity 132, 169
glial cells 272, 302
handedness, molecular 152
bacteria 63 n.
global warming 61
haploidy 222–4
8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine
glucagon 246
ageing in haploid animals
124, 312, 317
glucocorticoids 326, 326 n.
225–6
hydroxyl radicals 114–15, 119,
glucose 246, 248–50, 311
cycling with diploidy 223–4
124–5, 187, 204, 218, 312,
glutathione 186, 191, 193, 202,
in men 225
317
205, 207, 310–11
in wasps and bees 224
on early Earth 143, 319
glutathione peroxidase 280
Harley, Cal 268–9
on Mars 129
glycation end-products,
Harman, Denham 254, 263,
production in body 123–4
advanced 311
316
properties of 115–16
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von
Harrison, Jon 101
Hymenoptera 224
148
Hartman, Hyman 137, 143
gonads, implantation of 213–4
Harvard University 43, 59, 66,
I
gorillas 233
244
Gotland 231
Hawaii, University of 91
Ibadan, Nigeria 329
Gould, Stephen Jay 55
Haworth, Sir Walter 179
Ibadan, University of 329
gout 205
Hayflick, Leonard, 267
ice cores 86
Great Rift Valley, Africa 160
Hayflick limit 267–9, 271
IGFs 246–7, 322
Great Salt Lake, Utah 161
HeLa cells 268; see also cancer
Illinois, University of 30
Greenland 35
Hendrie, Hugh 329
immortality 217, 263, 267,
Greenwood, Brian 328
herpes simplex virus 302,
269, 271, 273, 274, 275
growth hormone 213, 246, 307
305–6, 309