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  • © 2007

Life in Extreme Environments

  • An intriguing look at how life can adapt to many different extreme environments
  • Where are the limits for life development
  • What are the different strategies used by organisms to adapt to different extreme environments
  • The first item in the Astrobiology Road Map is the study of extremophilic organisms
  • Extremophilic research is needed to explore the potential applications of these organisms

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Table of contents (28 chapters)

  1. Pressure and life: some biological strategies

    • Florence Pradillon, Françoise Gaill
    Pages 341-355
  2. Molecular evolution of haemoglobins of polar fishes

    • Cinzia Verde, Daniela Giordano, Guido di Prisco
    Pages 357-368
  3. Metal detoxification and homeostasis in Antarctic Notothenioids. A comparative survey on evolution, expression and functional properties of fish and mammal metallothioneins

    • Clemente Capasso, Vincenzo Carginale, Marilisa Riggio, Rosaria Scudiero, Piero Andrea Temussi, Francesca Trinchella et al.
    Pages 369-383
  4. Human challenges in polar and space environments

    • G. M. Sandal, G. R. Leon, L. Palinkas
    Pages 399-414
  5. Hypometabolic induced state: a potential tool in biomedicine and space exploration

    • Manuela Malatesta, Marco Biggiogera, Carlo Zancanaro
    Pages 415-428

About this book

From the deepest seafloor to the highest mountain, from the hottest region to the cold Antarctic plateau, environments labeled as extreme are numerous on Earth and they present a wide variety of features and characteristics. The life processes occurring within these environments are equally diverse, not only depending on stress factors (e.g. temperature, pressure, pH and chemicals) but also on the type of life forms, ranging from microbes to higher species. How is life limited by and adapted to extreme external biotic and abiotic factors? This key question summarises the deliberations raised by this exciting and fascinating research area. Addressing the challenge of answering this question would help to reveal new insights and refine theories concerning the origin and evolution of life on our planet, as well as life beyond Earth. Investigating life processes under extreme conditions can also bring clues for understanding and predicting ecosystems' responses to global changes. Furthermore, this area of research has a wide application potential in the fields of (bio)technology, chemical industry, pharmaceutics, biomedicine or cosmetics.

(Investigating Life in Extreme Environments - A European perspective, European Science Foundation, May 2007)

Editors and Affiliations

  • Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Centro de Biología Molecular del CSIC, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  • British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Cynan Ellis-Evans

  • Institute of Physiology, Medical University, Graz, Austria

    Helmut Hinghofer-Szalkay

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access