How and where did life on Earth originate? To date, various environments have been
proposed as plausible sites for the origin of life. However, discussions have focused on a …

Despite the generally hostile nature of the environments involved, chemistry does occur in
space. Molecules are seen in environments that span a wide range of physical and chemical …

As the search for Earth-like exoplanets gathers pace, in order to understand them, we need
comprehensive theories for how planetary atmospheres form and evolve. Written by two well …

Bathyarchaeia, as one of the most abundant microorganisms on Earth, play vital roles in the
global carbon cycle. However, our understanding of their origin, evolution, and ecological …

Life on Earth relies on chiral molecules—that is, species not superimposable on their mirror
images. This manifests itself in the selection of a single molecular handedness, or …

During evolution, there have been several major changes in the way that genetic information
is organized and transmitted from one generation to the next. These transitions include the …

An Introduction to Organic Geochemistry explores the fate of organic matter of all types,
biogenic and man-made, in the Earth System. investigates the variety of pathways and …

Sources of organic molecules on the early Earth divide into three categories: delivery by
extraterrestrial objects; organic synthesis driven by impact shocks; and organic synthesis by …

Ideas about atmospheric composition and climate on the early Earth have evolved
considerably over the last 30 years, but many uncertainties still remain. It is generally agreed …

To test the hypothesis that an abiotic Earth and its inert atmosphere could form chemically
reactive carbon-and nitrogen-containing compounds, we designed a plasma …