Enigmatic Microorganisms and Life in Extreme Environments

ISBN-13: 9781402018633 / Angielski / Miękka / 2003 / 687 str.

Joseph Seckbach; J. Seckbach

Opis

Modern methods and approaches, such as the analysis of molecular sequences to infer evolutionary relationships among organisms, have provided vast new sets of data to further our understanding ofliving organisms, but there remain enigmas in the biological world that will keep scientists working and thinking for decades. Microorganisms by virtue of their small size and almost unbounded diversity provide ample examples of intriguing mysteries that are being challenged with all of the techniques the modern scientific arsenal can provide. One whole arena of this battle to resolve puzzling mysteries about various microorganisms is the almost unbelievable ability of many micro-organisms to live in extreme environments. Whether the challenge is extreme heat, cold, pressure, hyper salinity, alkalinity or acidity, some micro-organisms live now where no life might seem possible. This fascinating state of affairs is the context for this present volume edited by Joseph Seckbach. This Volume is a compilation of many of the especially interesting questions and biological challenges that arise in the consideration of microorganisms in general and the extremophiles in particular."

Recenzje

"It is a good reference source for traditional extreme habitats and also provides many novel topics, such as lab-induced endosymbiosis, and good review chapters on basic physiology and metabolism."
(European Journal of Phycology, 36 (2001)

Spis treści

Foreword; R.L. Chapman. Preface; J. Seckbach. Acknowledgement. I: In the Beginning: Origin and Evolution of the First Cells. 1: Tracing the Relationships among the Eubacteria using F70 Type Sigma Factors; T.M. Gruber, D.A. Bryant. 2: Gene Transfer in Early Evolution; L. Olendzenski, J.P. Gogarten. 3: The Evolution of Algae; A.W.D. Larkum. 4: From Bacteria to Protista; H. Nakamura. 5: Eukaryogenesis: The Search for an Evolutionary Transition towards Intelligence in an Extreme Environmental Habitat of the Outer Solar System; J. Chela-Flores. 6: Fossil Bacteria; F. Westall. 7: Growth and Organisms in Ammonia: Kakabekia, a Microbial Enigma; B.Z. Siegel. II: Enigmatic Microorganisms. 8: Enigmatic Unicellar Protista: Are They Really Enigmatic? The Algae Case; D.J. Chapman. 9: The Prochlorophytes An Algal Enigma. Biology of Chlorophyll a/b Containing Photosynthetic Prokaryotes; A.F. Post. 10: Cryptomonad Systematics An Algal Enigma? P. Kugrens. 11: The Organellar Genomes of Cyanidioschyzon merolae; N. Ohta, N. Sato, T. Kuroiwa. III: The Versatile Extension of Life. 12: The Versatility of Microorganisms; M.M. Walsh, J. Seckbach. 13: Eukaryotic Cells under Extreme Conditions; D.McL. Roberts. 14: The Poikilotrophic Micro-Organism and its Environment. Microbial Strategies of Establishment, Growth and Survival; A.A. Gorbushina, W.E. Krumbein. 15: The Study of Enigmatic Microbial Communities; T.E. Jensen, W.A. Corpe. 16: Nanobacteria and Man; E. Olavi Kajander, M. Björklund, N.Çiftçioglu. 17: An Enigma in Marine Nanoplankton. The Role of Star-Like Structures Produced by Phaeocystis; M.-J. Chrétiennot-Dinet. 18: Algal Versatility in Various Extreme Environments; J. Elster. IV: Microorganisms in Extreme Environments. Dryness. 19: Enigmatic Desert Soil Algae, Soil Algal Flora of the Western U.S.A. and Baja California, Mexico; V.R. Flechtner. 20: Life in the Rocks Endolithic Algae; N. van Thielen, D.J. Garbary. 21: Lithobionts in the Eastern Mediterranean; J. Garty. Temperature Effects. i. Thermophiles. 22: Fine Structure of Hyperthermophilic Prokaryotes; R. Rachel. 23: The Phylogeny of Thermophiles and Hyperthermophiles and the Three Domains of Life. The Phylogeny of Thermophiles; D. Bhattacharya, T. Friedl, H. Schmidt. 24: Life in the Extreme: New Prokaryotes Living in High Temperature Low pH Environments; R.L. Weiss Bizzoco. ii. Psychrophiles. 25: Psychrophilic Yeasts; H.S. Vishniac. 26: Antarctic Microfungi; S. Onofri. Halophiles. 27: The Enigma of Square and Triangular Halophilic Archaea; A. Oren. 28: Microbial Life in the Dead Sea; A. Ventosa, D.R. Arahal. 29: Salt Sensitivity of Cells; H. Nakamura. 30: Survival of Halophilic Bacteria in Ancient Salts: Possibilities and Potentials; R.H. Vreeland, W.D. Rozenzweig. 31: Dunaliella &bgr;-Carotene. From Science to Commerce; A. Ben-Amotz. 32: Haloarchaeal Growth Physiology; R.F. Shand, A.M. Perez. Living in Enormous pH Ranges. i.