Life in the Universe Teaching Resources

Still Images

Presentations

The Basis of Life... As We Know It
Description: This presentation discusses the definition of life and many of its characteristics. The basic principles or natural laws that apply to living systems,the chemical basis of life, basic molecular biology, and the Central Dogma of Biology are discussed. (Posted on 10/00)

Cosmology, Evolution, and Life
Description: This presentation explains the possible role of meteorites and comets in the origin of life, discusses the environment of early Earth, presents basic cosmological theories, and outlines the evolutionary process of planetary systems. (Posted on 10/00)

Early Earth and Evolution
Description: This presentation discusses the origins of life, its properties, and its effect upon the planet. (Posted on 10/00)

Extreme Biology
Description: Extreme environments on Earth, the organims that inhabit them, and the importance of extremophiles are the topic of this presentation. The PowerPoint file contains 35 slides with lecture notes contained in the notes field (in addition to the MS Word document). (Posted on 10/04)

Life on Mars?
Description: This animated presentation explores the possibility of Martian life. Lecture notes accompanying the slides can be viewed in the "Notes Page" within PowerPoint. (Posted on 10/00)

NASA's Planetary Protection Program
Description: This document deals with the issues surrounding cross-contamination of both cellestial bodies and the Earth through space exploration. (Posted on 10/00)

The Origin and Unity of Life
Description: This presentation focuses on the various factors that influenced the origin of life and the circumstances surrounding its radiation. (Posted on 10/00)

Planetary Conditions for Life
Description: This presentation contains an evaluation of the necessary properties for life to exist on a planet. The conditions on Earth at the origin of life, the search for other planets with the potential to support life, and the problems of inter-solar system exploration are also discussed. (Posted on 10/00)

The Possibility of Europan Life
Description: This presentation reviews the theories and evidence for the existence of life on Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. (Posted on 10/00)

Preventing Premature Panspermia: A Planetary Protection Roadmap
Description: This presentation discusses the international agreements, theories, and techniques designed to combat the chance of cross-contamination between Earth and cellestial bodies. (Posted on 10/00)

Still Images

Archean Earthscape
Source: NASA
Format: JPEG
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Description: This picture shows an artist's conception of Earth in the time of the Archaea. (Posted on 10/00)

Cambrian Period Undersea Representation
Source: NASA
Format: JPEG
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Description: This picture shows an artist's conception of the undersea flora and fauna of the cambrian period. (Posted on 10/00)

Cretaceous Timeline Collage
Source: NASA
Format: JPEG
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Description: These images depict the end of the Cretaceous period. An asteroid 6 miles in diameter is believed to have hit the Yucatan Peninsula sending shock waves reverberating around the Earth. Debris flying high above the atmosphere rains down with incinerating heat. Later, dust and aerosols block sunlight, and temperatures plunge. Photosynthesis stalls and all animals over 55 lbs disappear, including the dinosaurs. Many plant species disappear, and the diversity of plankton and sponges falls sharply. Approximately 85% of ocean-dwelling protoctists and marine animal species are lost. It requires 20 million years for new life-forms with high levels of diversity to reappear. (Posted on 10/00)

Eukaryotic Cell Micrograph
Source: NASA
Format: GIF
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Description: This photograph shows a eukaryotic cell (a plasma cell). Only a single membrane surrounds the cell, but the interior of the cell contains many compartments known as organelles. Notable is the nucleus where the cellular DNA is segregated within the nuclear membrane. (Posted on 10/00)

Evolution Timeline
Source: NASA
Format: JPEG
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Description: This timeline shows approximate dates for important stages in the evolution of life on Earth. (Posted on 10/00)

Four Approaches to Exobiology
four approaches to life Source: NASA
Format: GIF
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Description: This image gives a graphical representation of approaches that scientists are taking to understand the origins and distribution of life. It would make an appropriate introductory viewgraphy for a Life in the Universe unit.(Posted on 10/00)

Life in the Universe
Source: NASA
Format: JPEG
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Description: This viewgraph shows the research at NASA that relates to the study of life in the universe. (Posted on 10/00)

Martian Landscape
Source: NASA
Format: JPEG
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Description: This photograph shows a false color image of the Martian surface. (Posted on 10/00)