Light and Life by Michael Gross
Light, like no other physical phenomenon, is linked in a wide variety of ways with the biological phenomenon of life. We can read this page because light is reflected from it, and carries the information to the retina; the oxygen we breathe was produced by photosynthesis; our sense of alertness relies on our biological clock, set using the cues of light and dark. Michael Gross explores the symbiotic relationship of light and life in this intriguing and entertaining book. Starting with astronomy and our relationship with the Sun and dependence on photosynthesis, he then turns to some of the stranger outcomes of the relationship - bioluminescent creatures, and their evolutionary significance. Finally he looks at the influence of light on biological time-keeping, the focus of much current scientific research. Life would not be here without light, and it would not have evolved as it has done had it not made the best possible use of light's energy and information content for using photosynthesis, biological clocks, and vision. This book explores all these aspects of the fascinating interplay of these two phenomena in a lively manner using many intriguing examples.
Gross, Michael: -
Michael Gross, the New York Times bestselling author of Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women, 740 Park: The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building, and House of Outrageous Fortune: Fifteen Central Park West, the World's Most Powerful Address, is the editor-in-chief of Avenue, a contributing editor for Departures, and his journalism and other writing has appeared in magazines and newspapers throughout the world, including the New York Times, New York, GQ, Esquire, and Vanity Fair. He lives in New York City.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780198564805 |
| ISBN 10 | 0198564805 |
| Title | Light and Life |
| Author | Michael Gross |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press Inc |
| Year published | 2003-07-31 |
| Number of pages | 174 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |