'Assembling Life' by David W. Deamer explores the origins of life through the lens of chemistry and biology. Deamer, a leading biologist, takes readers on a captivating journey from primordial soup to the first cellular life forms. He reveals how simple molecular building blocks came together to form complex systems, igniting the spark of life on Earth. With a blend of science and storytelling, this book invites readers to ponder profound questions about existence, evolution, and the possibility of life beyond our planet. Are we on the brink of understanding the fundamental processes that led to life's assembly?
By David W. Deamer
Published: 2019
"Life is not merely assembled from life's ingredients, but emerges as a symphonic orchestration of chemistry and chance, revealing the beauty of existence in its most elementary forms."
In Assembling Life, David Deamer addresses questions that are the cutting edge of research on the origin of life. For instance, how did non-living organic compounds assemble into the first forms of primitive cellular life? What was the source of those compounds and the energy that produced the first nucleic acids? Did life begin in the ocean or in fresh water on terrestrial land masses? Could life have begun on Mars? The book provides an overview of conditions on the early Earth four billion years ago and explains why fresh water hot springs are a plausible alternative to salty seawater as a site where life can begin. Deamer describes his studies of organic compounds that were likely to be available in the prebiotic environment and the volcanic conditions that can drive chemical evolution toward the origin of life. The book is not exclusively Earth-centric, but instead considers whether life could begin elsewhere in our solar system. Deamer does not propose how life did begin, because we can never know that with certainty. Instead, his goal is to understand how life can begin on any habitable planet, with Earth so far being the only known example.
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“Life is not merely assembled from life's ingredients, but emerges as a symphonic orchestration of chemistry and chance, revealing the beauty of existence in its most elementary forms.”
Assembling Life
By David W. Deamer
Discover a world of knowledge through our extensive collection of book summaries.
David W. Deamer is an esteemed biochemist and author, best known for his pioneering research on the origins of life and the role of membranes in cell formation. He has authored notable works including 'First Life: Discovering the Connections between Stars, Cells, and How Life Began' and 'The Living Universe: Where Are We? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?' His writing style blends scientific rigor with accessible prose, making complex topics understandable for both academic and general audiences.
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