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Astronomical and Cosmochemical Aspects of the Life Origin Problem

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Abstract

The fundamental properties of a known form of life are briefly considered, including the fundamental ideas about the chemical evolution of matter and the properties of living matter, which are based on biogeochemistry and molecular biology. The concepts underlying the modern understanding of the origin of life based on chemical and biological evolution are discussed. The basics of astrobiology and the intriguing problem of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence and the search for life in the Universe are briefly touched upon.

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  1. All living organisms on Earth contain a total of 550 billion tons of carbon from about 3.6 trillion tons of biomass.

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Correspondence to M. Ya. Marov.

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Translated by M. Chubarova

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Marov, M.Y. Astronomical and Cosmochemical Aspects of the Life Origin Problem. Astron. Rep. 67, 764–789 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063772923080073

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