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Product Information

Informed by new planetary discoveries and the findings from recent robotic missions to Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, scientists are rapidly replacing centuries of speculation about potential extraterrestrial habitats with real kwledge about the possibility of life outside our own biosphere-if it exists, and where. This second edition of Kevin W. Plaxco and Michael Gross's widely acclaimed text incorporates the latest research in astrobiology to bring readers the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and engaging introduction to the field available.Plaxco and Gross expand their examination of the origin of chemical elements, the developments that made the Universe habitable, and how life continues to be sustained. They discuss in great detail the formation of the first galaxies and stars, the diverse chemistry of the primordial planet, the origins of metabolism, the evolution of complex organisms, and the feedback regulation of Earth's climate. They also explore life in extreme habitats, potential extraterrestrial habitats, and the current status of the search for extraterrestrial life.Weaving together the relevant threads of astromy, geology, chemistry, biophysics, and microbiology, this broadly accessible introductory text captures the excitement, controversy, and progress of the dynamic young field of astrobiology. New to this edition is a glossary of terms and an epilogue recapping the key unanswered questions, making Astrobiology an ideal primer for students and, indeed, for anyone curious about life and the Universe.

Product Identifiers

PublisherJohns Hopkins University Press

ISBN-101421400960

ISBN-139781421400969

eBay Product ID (ePID)108608780

Product Key Features

Number of Pages352 Pages

Publication NameAstrobiology : a Brief Introduction

LanguageEnglish

Publication Year2011

SubjectScience & Mathematics: Textbooks & Study Guides

FeaturesNew Edition

TypeTextbook

AuthorMichael Gross, Kevin W. Plaxco

Subject AreaScience

FormatTrade Paperback (Us), Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height1 in

Item Weight18.7 Oz

Item Length8.9 in

Item Width6.4 in

Height229mm

Width152mm

Weight544g

Additional Product Features

Edition Number2

Intended AudienceCollege Audience

Date of Publication26/07/2011

Place of PublicationBaltimore, Md

Spine26mm

GenreScience & Mathematics: Textbooks & Study Guides

Country of PublicationUnited States

Author BiographyKevin W. Plaxco is a professor of chemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Michael Gross is a science writer based in Oxford.

Content Note29 Halftones, Black and White; 52 Line Drawings, Black and White

Edition StatementSecond Edition

ImprintJohns Hopkins University Press