This note covers the following topics: Properties of life, The cell,
Life definitions in astrobiology, Chemical properties of life, The chemical
elements of life, The water molecule, Chemical bonds in biology, Functional
groups in biomolecules, Biological macromolecules, Nucleic acids: RNA and DNA,
Molecules used for energy exchange, Genetic sequences and classification of
organisms.
This note describes the origin and development of life on the
planet Earth within the context of an evolving universe. It begins with an
overview of the origins of the universe from the "Big Bang" to our own solar
system and then integrate the principles of physics, chemistry, geology and
biology to study the origins of life on Earth.