Index
cycle, 156–57; chloroplasts, 160; dark reaction, 156–57; indepencence from, 178; light reaction, 156–57; origins, 153–58; photosystems I and II, 155– 57 photosystems I and II. See photosynthesis pH scale, 185 pH values, 178, 184 –86 Pioneer missions, 205, 238 Pioneer Venus probes, 56 Planck, Max, 1 planetesimals, 44, 47–48, 51–52 planet formation, 42–48, 51–53 plate tectonics, 52, 57–58, 171 Pluto, 44, 45, 47, 55 polyalcohols. See sugars polycytidine, 89 polymerase chain reaction. See PCR polymerization processes, 75, 79, 84–90, 104, 108–12 polymers, 64 –65 polyols. See sugars polypeptides, 103, 115; origins, 125–27 population I stars, 32 population II stars, 33, 35 population III stars, 26, 33 porphyrins, 106, 107 positrons, 17 potassium (K), 48–49 Prasiola crispa, 181 prebiotic synthesis, 65–68, 71–81, 84– 91, 109–10, 113–15 presolar nebula, 41, 44, 47, 82, 113 pressure, 186 – 90 primordial nucleosynthesis, 19–20 primordial planetary conditions, 61–63, 68 –69 Project Ozma, 244–45 proline, 72, 83 propionic acid, 63 protease, 112 protein biosynthesis, 117–18, 123–27, 133 proteins, 64–65, 103–6, 112, 115 protein sequences, 161–62 Proterozoic Era, 145 protogalaxies, 25 protons, 17–21, 32 proto-planets, 43, 44 protostomes, 168 proto-Sun, 41
257
purine nucleobases, 73 purple membrane, 154 pyrimidine nucleobases, 73 –74 pyrite (FeS2), 96 Pyrococcus furiosus, 176 Pyrolobus fumarii, 179 pyruvate, 159 Qi, S. D., 113 Quaoar, 45 quarantine, 192– 93, 217 Queloz, Didier, 214 Qui, F., 113 radical reactions, 69 –70, 80 radio-frequency radiation, 14 –16 radioisotopic dating, 48 – 49 radiolysis, 210 Rasmussen, Birger, 148 – 49 recombination event, 22–24, 26 red dwarf stars, 34 red giants, 27, 28 red shift, 15 reducing environments, 67–69, 80 –81, 96–97 Rees, Martin, 30 refractory materials, 43, 44 – 45 re-ionization process, 26 resonance, 28, 30 Reynolds, Roy, 206 Rhea, 212 Rhodopseudomonas viridis, 154 Ribas de Pouplana, Lluís, 132 ribonucleic acid. See RNA ribonucleotide cofactor, 122 ribonucleotide reductase, 135 ribonucleotides, 114 –15 ribose, 64, 79– 80, 84 – 90, 111–13, 115 ribosomes, 105 – 6; 16S RNA, 142– 43; reconstitution, 124; structure, 123 –25 ribozymes, 106 –11, 121; hammerhead, 123; ribosome, 125 Rivera, Maria, 162– 63 RNA (ribonucleic acid), 64–65, 75, 87– 89, 102, 104–15; autocatalytic hydrolysis, 134; as genetic material, 133–34; primer, 134; ribosomal, 142–43 RNA-based metabolism, 122 RNA world, 121–25, 135 rock abrasion tool, 203 – 4 rocks, half-life, 144 Rosetta mission, 82