Title :
Why does life start, what does it do, where will it be?
Author :
Russell, Michael J.
Author_Institution :
Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA, USA
Abstract :
Life is driven into being by the tension between the ancient carbon dioxide atmosphere and hydrogen at submarine alkaline springs. It is helped into being by transition metal sulfides, nitrogen compounds and phosphate. Life synthesizes a small but ever-renewed stock of organic molecules and generates various waste products in the process such as methane, acetate and eventually oxygen. It will occur on any sunny, wet, rocky planet.
Keywords :
evolution (biological); molecular biophysics; planets; acetate; ancient carbon dioxide atmosphere; hydrogen; life; methane; nitrogen compounds; organic molecules; oxygen; phosphate; rocky planet; submarine alkaline springs; sunny planet; transition metal sulfides; waste products; wet planet; Atmosphere; Carbon dioxide; Hydrogen; Laboratories; NASA; Nitrogen; Planets; Propulsion; Springs; Underwater vehicles;
Conference_Titel :
Aerospace Conference, 2010 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Big Sky, MT
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-3887-7
Electronic_ISBN :
1095-323X
DOI :
10.1109/AERO.2010.5447040
