Chapter 4. Prebiotic Earth: First Organic Compounds and First Informational Molecules

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Preface ix
4. Introduction 1
5. Chapter 1. Foundations of the Universe 13
6. Chapter 2. Building a Universe 42
7. Chapter 3. Life as It Is Today 62
8. Chapter 4. Prebiotic Earth: First Organic Compounds and First Informational Molecules 92
9. Chapter 5. Life on Its Way 117
10. Chapter 6. Has Life Originated Elsewhere and Will It End? 154
11. Appendix 1. A Graphic Representation of Special Relativity 175
12. Appendix 2. More on Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle 177
13. Appendix 3. How Do We Know the Age of the Universe? 179
14. Appendix 4. Eric Chaisson’s View of Cosmic Evolution 181
15. Appendix 5. Do the Universe and Life Have a Purpose and a Designer? 183
16. Notes 187
17. Glossary 195
18. Notable Scientists 199
19. Bibliography 201
20. Index 205