Enigmatic Microorganisms and Life in Extreme Environments

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxi

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2. In the Beginning: Origin and Evolution of the First Cells

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Tracing the Relationships Among the Eubacteria Using σ70-Type Sigma Factors

      • Tanja M. Gruber, Donald A. Bryant

      Pages 3-13

   3. Gene Transfer in Early Evolution

      • Lorraine Olendzenski, J. Peter Gogarten

      Pages 15-27

   4. The Evolution of Algae

      • A. W. D. Larkum

      Pages 29-48

   5. From Bacteria to Protista

      • Hakobu Nakamura

      Pages 49-62

   6. Eukaryogenesis: The Search for an Evolutionary Transition Towards Intelligence in an Extreme Environmental Habitat of the Outer Solar System

      • Julian Chela-Flores

      Pages 63-71

   7. Fossil Bacteria

      • Frances Westall

      Pages 73-88

   8. Growth of Organisms in Ammonia: Kakabekia, A Microbial Enigma

      • B. Z. Siegel

      Pages 89-96

3. Enigmatic Microorganisms

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 98-98

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   2. Enigmatic Unicellular Protista: Are they Really Enigmatic? The Algae Case

      • David J. Chapman

      Pages 99-111

   3. The Prochlorophytes - An Algal Enigma

      • A. F. Post

      Pages 113-125

   4. Cryptomonad Systematics - An Algal Enigma?

      • Paul Kugrens

      Pages 127-138

   5. The Organellar Genomes of Cyanidioschyzon merolae

      • Niji Ohta, Naoki Sato, Tsuneyoshi Kuroiwa

      Pages 139-149

4. The Versatile Extension of Life

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 151-151

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   2. The Versatility of Microorganisms

      • Maud M. Walsh, Joseph Seckbach

      Pages 153-162

   3. Eukaryotic Cells Under Extreme Conditions

      • D. Mc L. Roberts

      Pages 163-173

   4. The Poikilotrophic Micro-Organism and its Environment

      • A. A. Gorbushina, W. E. Krumbein

      Pages 175-185

   5. The Study of Enigmatic Microbial Communities

      • T. E. Jensen, W. A. Corpe

      Pages 187-194

   6. Nanobacteria and Man

      • E. Olavi Kajander, Mikael Björklund, Neva Çiftçioglu

      Pages 195-204

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.

• algae
• arctic
• bacteria
• biology
• desert
• environment
• evolution
• flora
• fungi
• growth
• microorganism
• Organe
• physiology
• soil
• systematics

"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)

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