Acetic acid and its conjugate base acetate are amazing molecules. The combination of a methyl group and a carboxylic acid/carboxylate makes acetic acid/acetate the primordium of complex organic molecules. Acetic acid is uncommon among common biological carbon sources besides gases in that it can freely diffuse across membranes. The central role of acetate in the global carbon cycle and the origin and evolution of life on earth are expertly portrayed by Ferry. Fermentation reduces biomass predominantly to acetate. Acetate is the metabolic currency between the bacteria and archaea domains of life. It is said that two-thirds of the methane produced in the biosphere is derived from acetate. An "energy first" hypothesis that builds on the chemoautotrophic origin of life proposal that highlights the central role of acetate thioseters is advanced. This book spans from the origin of life to the latest developments in biology and chemistry. Its chapters elucidate how the versatile acetate and its derivatives and partners are critical to the metabolism, the global carbon cycle, greenhouse gas generation and climate change, among other things.
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