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Thermodynamic Inversion

Origin of Living Systems

  • Describes thermodynamic inversion and how it relates to the living cell
  • Examines the current direction of experiments on prebiotic materials chemistry
  • Introduces and substantiates necessary conditions for the emergence of life
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xix
  2. Life and a Principal Way of Its Origin in the Universe

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 15-15
    2. General Thermodynamic Characteristics of Living Systems

      • Vladimir N. Kompanichenko
      Pages 17-55
    3. Principal Way of Life Origin in the Universe

      • Vladimir N. Kompanichenko
      Pages 57-92
    4. General Characteristics of the Origin-of-Life Medium

      • Vladimir N. Kompanichenko
      Pages 93-118
  3. Origin of Initial Living Systems on Early Earth

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 119-119
    2. Irreversible Prebiotic Evolution in Hydrothermal Systems

      • Vladimir N. Kompanichenko
      Pages 121-158
    3. Exchange of Information During Prebiotic Evolution

      • Vladimir N. Kompanichenko
      Pages 159-177
  4. Kamchatka Geothermal Region as a Testing Ground for Investigation of the Origin-of-Life Process

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 201-201
  5. Back Matter

    Pages 273-275

About this book

This book discusses the theory, general principles, and energy source conditions allowing for the emergence of life in planetary systems. The author examines the material conditions found in natural hydrothermal sites, the appropriate analogs of prebiotic environments on early Earth. He provides an overview of current laboratory experiments in prebiotic materials chemistry and substantiation of a new direction for the experiments in the origin of life field.

  • Describes thermodynamic inversion and how it relates to the living cell;
  • Examines the current direction of experiments on prebiotic materials chemistry;
  • Introduces and substantiates necessary conditions for the emergenceof life.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Institute for Complex Analysis of Regional Problems FEB RAS, Birobidzhan, Russia

    Vladimir N. Kompanichenko

About the author

Vladimir N. Kompanichenko, Ph.D. (Geology) is a leading research scientist at the Institute for Complex Analysis of Regional Problems (the Russian Academy of Science) in Birobidzhan. He carries out the interdisciplinary research in Astrobiology that includes the theoretical elaboration of the inversion concept of life origin in fluctuating hydrothermal medium (on Earth and beyond), and the experimental exploration of hydrothermal systems aimed to detection of organic compounds and describing of pressure-temperature oscillations. He worked as a visiting scientist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry (2001), and at University of California at Santa Cruz, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (2004-2006). For the period of 1997-2004 he took a part-time position Professor at the two Universities in Khabarovsk (Russia) teaching Natural Science and the special course in Astrobiology.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 169.99
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