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Submitted to: Bioscience
Publication Type: Other Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2003 Publication Date: 3/1/2003 Citation: WALTERS, C.T. "LIFE AT THE LIMITS: ORGANISMS IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS". BIOSCIENCE. 2003. v.53.p.524-525 Interpretive Summary: This manuscript is a review of the book by David A. Wharton "Life at the Limits: Organisms in Extreme Environments." The book surveys animals, plants and microbes that live in the deserts, polar seas, Antarctic permafrost and geothermal heat vents. The adaptations to stress found in these life forms are of practical value and could provide important insights for gene-mining, bioinformatics and genetic engineering. Mechanisms described in the book for survival under extreme dry and cold are similar to mechanisms studied for cryopreservation of genetic resources. Hence, the ecological and evolutionary perspectives provided in the book are relevant to the long term survival and genetic integrity of germplasm in genebanks. Technical Abstract: This manuscript is a review of the book by David A. Wharton "Life at the Limits: Organisms in Extreme Environments." The book surveys animals, plants and microbes that live in the deserts, polar seas, Antarctic permafrost and geothermal heat vents. The adaptations to stress found in these life forms are of practical value and could provide important insights for gene-mining, bioinformatics and genetic engineering. Mechanisms described in the book for survival under extreme dry and cold are similar to mechanisms studied for cryopreservation of genetic resources. Hence, the ecological and evolutionary perspectives provided in the book are relevant to the long term survival and genetic integrity of germplasm in genebanks. |
