This book provides an interdisciplinary review of one of the great unsolved mysteries that has fascinated scientists for over 150 years: the origin of chirality in biomolecules. Current advances in fields as diverse as space exploration, prebiotic chemistry and high-energy physics may help to provide an answer. Important pieces of information will come from observations at the two frontiers of science: outer space and the subatomic world. Observation of distant planets, galaxies, and even actual sampling of celestial objects from beyond the solar system are projects currently underway. At the other end of the spectrum, there are experiments that study the elemental properties of matter, such as symmetry, and interactions with the fundamental forces. Completely revised and updated this new edition once again unifies all the theories of the origin of biomolecular homochirality together in a single source. This complete, interdisciplinary review of an intriguing subject condenses a large and disparate range of contributions from journals in almost every scientific field. The various theories have been organized, interrelated and explained in a unified way. It is fundamental, comprehensive and structured to be accessible for educational purposes.
Tabella dei contenuti
Introduction and Historical Background;
The Concept of Chirality;
Theories of the Origin of Biomolecular Homochirality;
Chiral Physical Forces;
Mechanisms of Amplification;
Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking;
Outside Earth: Meteorites and Comets;
Other Local Deterministic Theories;
Intrinsic Asymmetry of the Universe: The Absolute Direction of Time, the Absolute Sign of Charge and the Absolute Handedness
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