Table of Contents

1 Front Matter; 2 Executive Summary; 3 1 Introduction; 4 2 A Sketch of the Chemistry Behind Known Carbon-based Life on Earth; 5 3 Pushing the Boundaries of Life; 6 4 Alternatives to Terran Biochemistry in Water; 7 5 Origin of Life; 8 6 Why Water? Toward More Exotic Habitats; 9 7 Life Detection and Biomarkers; 10 8 Conclusions and Recommendations; 11 Appendix A Glossary; 12 Appendix B Biographies of Committee Members and Staff

About the Author

Committee on the Limits of Organic Life in Planetary Systems, Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life, National Research Council