Cary Neeper's Blog: Reviewing World-changing Nonfiction - Posts Tagged "eukaryotes"

A remarkable book in its thorough questioning as Lane makes his case that we are all alike, except our friends and enemies the bacteria and archaea. Plants, animals, humans, fungi and protists all share similar cells--the eukaryotes--which were able to evolve into complex beings, unlike the bacteria and archaea, which got stuck in their successful niches, expanding but not changing much.

Lane explains in detail why the first living beings on Earth probably got going in the alkaline hydrothermal vents deep in the oceans. There is where energy could drive what was needed. Then came symbiosis to some simple living cells--they engulfed and shared genes and energy talents with mitochondria and (probably later) chloroplasts. As a result, they became more and more complex over the ages.

Lanes' exciting theories are well worth the effort, reading along with the bioenergy-thought processes he believes gave us this precious life. Full review at http://astronaut.com/whos-life-may-rare/