Genesis Quest
Subtitle: The Geniuses and Eccentrics on a Journey to Uncover the Origin of Life on Earth
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: 2020
Language: eng
Number of pages: 328
ISBN-13: 9780226715230
Subjects: Biology
Description: "Some have argued that life began in the chemical-rich seas of the early Earth, the famous primordial soup, while others are convinced that life began in strange vents pumping hot water out of the sea floor, where the chemical reactions that sustain living cells could get started. Or perhaps life began in volcanic ponds on land, or in meteorite impact zones, or even in beds of clay. Each idea has attracted staunch believers who promote it with an almost religious fervor. But the story of life's origins is more than this: it is a story that takes in some of the greatest discoveries in modern biology, from cells to DNA, and evolution to life's family tree. This book is the first full history of the scientists who struggled to explain one of the greatest mysteries of all: how and why life began"--