Journey to Diverse Microbial Worlds

In this study of the wide-ranging habitats of microbes, the contributors present the diversity of micro-organisms, from the state of fossil microbes in Archaean age rocks to the possibilities of extraterrestrial life. This volume discusses the extremophiles living in harsh environments (from our anthropocentric point) and describes them in detail. Some chapters also review topics such as symbiosis, bacterial luminescence, methanogens, and petroleum-grown cells. The final chapters shed light on astrobiology and speculate on extremophiles as candidates for extraterrestrial life.