We've all heard the story of life on Earth, how animals breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide while plants take in the carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Life, then, is in perfect balance with each kingdom providing what the other kingdom needs. Turns out, however, it's a little more complicated than that. In "Oxygen" author and biochemist Nick Lane takes an in depth look at the role oxygen plays in the evolution of life as we know it on Earth. Just how, and when, did life adjust to this deadly element? And, what effect does it have on our everyday lives and aging pricess? While written for layman reader with some background in chemistry this is defiantly not an easy read. Lane pulls no punches when explaining chemical processes and he must often use scientific nomenclature to identify the various enzymes and the inner workings of a cell. The origin of life is not addressed in this book but he does examen current theories on how life evolved from that "Last Common Universal Ancestor" to become the plants, animals and other organisms that we're all familiar with. Life did not create oxygen, it only found a way to free oxygen from its chemical bonds and make use of its benefits while avoiding its dangers. Just how, and when, did LUCA become the complex life forms that populate our world; bacteria, viruses and multi celled organisms. Using the work and theories of other specialists as well as his own extensive background in biology and chemistry, Lane explains how two kinds of bacteria may have joined forces to become the eukaryote life forms that seem to dominate the world. After that the next challenge that life faced was oxygen itself and how life used it while avoiding its dangers. A good portion of the book is devoted to how oxygen is used by most organisms, including humans, and how it influences growth, reproduction, aging and, finally, death. As in his previous books, Lane's writing is clear, concise and ever interesting while explaining this complex subject. I had to struggle through some portions of this book but, in the end, it was worth the effort. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a challenging read on the inner workings of life and the environment. I had no downloading or technical problems with this Kindle edition.
Last Ranger
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Top reviews from other countries
arun p.
good insight about the molecular Biology on evolutionary scale
Reviewed in India on May 22, 2021Florinda Gilsanz Rodriguez
Un resumen soberbio de la ciencia sobre donde venimos y cuando dejaremos de ser
Reviewed in Spain on September 27, 2018
Donato
The centrality of Oxygen for life on Earth
Reviewed in Italy on August 20, 2017