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Exploring evolution, ecology, breeding, bioinformatics, and biopreservation. (Books).

Article Excerpt
Life at the Limits: Organisms in Extreme Environments. David A. Wharton. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. 2002. 320 pp., illus. $25.00 (ISBN 0521782120 cloth).

Life at the Limits was a refreshing reminder of why I became involved in biology research. This 320-page book (with 53 illustrations and four tables) describes organisms found living under extreme environmental conditions and--weaving through themes of the nature of life and its ecology, evolution, and origin--discusses the possibility of extraterrestrial life. These are not esoteric questions; studies of life under extreme conditions brought us creamier ice cream, laundry detergent that works in cold water, and other practical innovations. The author of this imaginative and up-to-date survey is David A. Wharton, an associate professor of the Zoology Department at the University of Otago, New Zealand.

The premise of the book is that all living things, no matter how exotic, have the same basic rules, goals, and equipment, but some organisms have specific strategies to cope with severe environmental stresses. These stresses range from extremes in temperature and water availability and pressure to radiation and toxic chemicals. Not surprisingly, Wharton proclaims that the availability of water, specifically liquid water, is...