The Astrophysical Context of Life (2005) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix C: Glossary
Appendix C: Glossary
Pages 70-74
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From page 70... ...
biosphere Life zone of Earth, which includes all living organisms and all organic matter that has not yet decomposed bolide Meteor that often explodes as a fireball carbonaceous Stony meteorite that contains carbonaceous compounds chondrite Chicxulub Impact basin in Mexico, which was created at the end of the Cretaceous and the beginning of the Tertiary chirality Degree to which an object is different from its mirror image chromosphere Visually transparent layer above the Sun's visible photosphere 70
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From page 71... ...
multiagency Vision for Space Exploration Initiative field reversal Periodic reversal of the magnetic field of a star or planet flare star Star that sporadically flares in brightness by an order of magnitude or more gamma ray Most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation gamma-ray burst Energetic cosmic event that produces a burst of gamma rays habitable zone Radial zone in which certain parameters thought to be necessary for life are met Hadean Era in Earth's history 4.5 to 3.8 billion years ago, before life is thought to have arisen
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From page 72... ...
magma chamber Underground pocket containing molten rock meiosis Reproduction through cell division metals To astronomers, any element except hydrogen or helium mtDNA Mitochondrial DNA NAI NASA Astrobiology Institute NASA U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration NSCORT NASA Specialized Centers of Research and Training NEO Near-Earth object, an asteroid or comet that comes relatively close to Earth NIH U.S.
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From page 73... ...
panspermia Hypothesis that life originated elsewhere in the universe and migrated through space to Earth and, potentially, elsewhere photosynthesis Biochemical process by which the energy of light is converted into chemical energy in plants, algae, and certain bacteria phototroph Organism that uses light as its main source of energy phylogenetic Of or related to the evolutionary development of a group of genetically related organisms placer deposit Alluvial deposit of sand and gravel representing stream beds planetesimal Small rocky and icy object that existed at an early stage in the development of the solar system polymerase Enzymes that catalyze the polymerization of nucleic acids polyols Polyhydric alcohols or sugar alcohols polysaccharides Polymers made up of chains of simple sugars. Examples include starch, cellu lose, and glycogen protein Complex, high-molecular-weight organic compound that consists of amino ac ids joined by peptide bonds Pseudomonas Common nonpathogenic, gram-negative bacteria that produces a soluble greenish fluorescens fluorescent pigment, particularly under conditions of low iron availability P-T boundary Geologic boundary between the Permian and Triassic periods, about 250 million years ago pyrimidine dimer Two adjacent pyrimidine nucleotides, usually thymine, in which the pyrimidine residues are covalently joined by a cyclobutane ring.
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From page 74... ...
single-strand break When one strand of the DNA molecule is broken, usually by oxidative stress or certain forms of radiation solar flare Eruption of hot gas and radiation from the Sun's photosphere solar neighborhood Sun and nearby stars Stardust mission NASA mission to return dust from Comet Wild 2 subduction Geologic process by which one tectonic plate is forced under another Sudbury Ancient impact basin in northern Canada supernova Stellar explosion tars Complex hydrocarbons with high viscosity and melting point tectonics Theory that Earth's lithosphere exists as separate and distinct plates that float on a fluid-like asthenosphere Titan Largest moon of Saturn TPF NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder transition elements Elements located in groups IB to VIIIB of the Periodic Table. They have many of the characteristics of metals.
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