The Natural Selection of the Chemical Elements: The Environment and Life's Chemistry - Couverture rigide

Williams, Robert J. P.

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0198558430 ISBN 13 : 9780198558439

Editeur : Clarendon Press, 1996

Synopsis

The central thesis of The Natural Selection of the Chemical Elements is that the inanimate environment and living organisms are intimately connected, and that the evolution of both has been interactive and interdependent: the environment and life developed together. The authors show that this can be explained in terms of the properties of the chemical elements and their compounds, especially as compounds have developed with time. The first part of the book discusses the physical and chemical balance between ordered and disordered systems and then analyses organisation in both the animate and inanimate worlds. Appropriate thermodynamic and kinetic principles are given to support this analysis. The application of these principles to the development of both inorganic (geographical) and organic chemical systems is then described, providing a basis for understanding the evolution of life in terms of the interaction of both types of chemistry within ever more complex organisations. This book is intended for all scientists active in chemistry, biology, and the earth and environmental sciences, particularly natural scientists interested in the problems of life and the environment

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

This beautifully written book is a study of the intimate relationship between the inanimate environment and living organisms. It describes how the evolution of both has been interactive and interdependent: the environment and life developed together, The authors show that this can be explained in terms of the properties of the chemical elements and their compounds. It discusses the physical and chemical balances between the animate and inanimate worlds, with kinetic and thermodynamic principles given to support this analysis. These principles are applied to both organic and inorganic chemical systems to provide a basis for understanding the evolution of life in terms of the interaction of both types of chemistry within ever more complex organisations. The book conludes with an examination of an intriguing problem for mankind: the long-term consequences of man's selection and manipulation of chemicals. This may have consequences for the long-term future of life from changes in the environment - not just only due to bulk but also to trace element alterations.

Revue de presse

From the cloth edition: Chemistry is a wonderful subject.The Natural Selection of the Chemical Elements is a wonderful book ... The result is a tour de force, a major textbook of general chemistry ... remininscent of Pauling's The Nature of the Chemical Bond. Nature

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Clarendon Press
• Date d'édition: 1996
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0198558430
• ISBN 13: 9780198558439
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 672
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: Ufficio Anagrafiche Messaggerie; ufficio.anagrafiche@meli.it; ; Via Verdi, 8; Assago Milano; 20090; Italie