Astrobiology

Definition

Astrobiology is a scientific field within the life and environmental sciences that studies the origins, early evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe by investigating its deterministic conditions and contingent events. As a discipline, astrobiology is founded on the premise that life may exist beyond Earth.

Related concepts

A Message from Earth Abiogenesis Abundance of the chemical elements Acetaldehyde Acetamide Acetic acid Acetone Acetonitrile Acetylene Acrolein Across the Universe (message)Acrylonitrile Active SETI Adaptation Adenosine triphosphate Aerobiology Aestivation hypothesis Agronomy Agrostology Alcohol and spaceflight Aleksandr Leonidovich Zaitsev Alga Alien language Aliphatic Allan Hills 77005 Allan Hills 84001 Allen Telescope Array Aluminium(I) hydroxide Aluminium(II) oxide Aluminium isocyanide Aluminium monochloride Aluminium monofluoride Amateur astronomy Amino acid Amino radical Aminoacetonitrile Ammonia Ammonium Anatomy Ancient Greek Ancient Greek astronomy Ancient astronauts Andy Weir Animal Animals in space Ann Druyan Antarctica Anthracene Anthropic principle Anthropocentrism Anthropology Apollo 17 Arabidopsis thaliana Archaea Archaeoastronomy Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication Arecibo Observatory Arecibo message Argonium Aromatic Associated Press Asteroid Asteroid mining Astrobiology (journal)Astrobiology Field Laboratory Astrobiology Magazine Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets Astrobiology Society of Britain Astrobotany Astrochemistry Astroecology Astrograph Astroinformatics Astrolinguistics Astrology and astronomy Astrometry Astronautical hygiene Astronomer Astronomers Monument Astronomical object Astronomical symbols Astronomy Astronomy in Serbia Astronomy in the medieval Islamic world Astroparticle physics Astrophilosophy Astrophysics Astrotourism Astrovirology Atmospheric science Atmospheric sciences Atom Atomic and molecular astrophysics Australian Aboriginal astronomy Avi Loeb BIOPAN BLC1 BRUIE Babylonian astronomy Bacillus safensis Bacillus subtilis Bacteria Bacteriology Bacterium Batteries in space Beagle 2 Beagle 3 Benzene Benzonitrile Berkeley SETI Research Center Berserker hypothesis Big Bang Binoculars BioSentinel Bioastronautics Biochemistry Biocoenosis Biodiversity Biogeochemical cycle Biogeography Biogeology Bioinformatics Biolab Biological Oxidant and Life Detection Biological engineering Biological interaction Biological organisation Biological system Biology Biomass Biome Biomechanics Biomining Biomolecule Bion (satellite)Biophysics Biosatellite program Biosemiotics Biosignature Biosignatures Biosphere Biostatistics Biotechnology Biotic material Black smoker Botany Bracewell probe Breakthrough Enceladus mission Breakthrough Initiatives Breakthrough Listen Breakthrough Message Breakthrough Starshot Breathing Brookings Report Buckminsterfullerene Butyronitrile C-Silicon dicarbide C70 fullerene CAESAR (spacecraft)CCP radical CI1 fossils COROT CTA-102 Cambridge University Press Carbodiimide Carbohydrate Carbon Carbon-based life Carbon cation Carbon dioxide Carbon monophosphide Carbon monosulfide Carbon monoxide Carbonyl sulfide Carl Sagan Carl Sagan Institute Cassini–Huygens Cell (biology)Cell biology Cell cycle Cell signaling Cell theory Cellular microbiology Cellular respiration Center for Life Detection Science Chang'e 4 Chemical biology Chemical bond Chemical element Chemical elements Chemical formula Chemosynthesis Chinese astronomy Christmas on the International Space Station Chronobiology Circulatory system Circumstellar dust Circumstellar envelope Circumstellar habitable zone Clam Climate Climate change Cognitive biology Cognitive science Common name Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence Community (ecology)Comparative biology Computational biology Conservation biology Constellation Corrosion in space CosmicOS Cosmic Call Cosmic dust Cosmic pluralism Cosmic ray Cosmic ray astronomy Cosmochemistry Cosmogony Cosmology Crustacean Cryobiology Cultural astronomy Curiosity (rover)Curiosity rover Cyanamide Cyano radical Cyanoacetylene Cyanoallene Cyanobacteria Cyanobutadiynyl radical Cyanoformaldehyde Cyanomethyl Cyanopolyyne Cyclopentindene Cyclopropenone Cyclopropenylidene Cytogenetics DNA DSV Alvin Dark forest hypothesis Darwin (ESA)Darwin (spacecraft)David S. McKay Definition of life Deinococcus radiodurans Dendrology Detecting Earth from distant star-based systems Deuterium Developmental biology Diacetylene Diana Blaney Diatomic carbon Diatomic molecule Diazenylium Dicarbon monoxide Diffuse interstellar band Dihydroxyacetone Dimethyl ether Directed panspermia Discovery Channel Discovery Program Disilicon carbide Dragonfly (Titan space probe)Drake equation E-Cyanomethanimine EPIC 204278916 ESA EXPOSE Earliest known life forms Earth Earth analog Ecological genetics Ecological niche Ecology Ecosystem Ecosystem ecology Effect of spaceflight on the human body Egyptian astronomy Embryology Emergence Enceladus Enceladus (moon)Enceladus Explorer Enceladus Life Finder Enceladus Life Signatures and Habitability Enceladus Orbilander Endocrine system Energy Environmental science Enzyme Epidemiology Epidermis (botany)Epigenetics Epistemology Ethanethiol Ethanimine Ethanol Ethics Ethyl formate Ethylene Ethylene glycol Ethylene oxide Ethynyl radical EuCROPIS Eukaryote Europa (moon)Europa Clipper Europa Lander (NASA)European Astrobiology Network Association European Space Agency Evolution Evolutionary biology Evolutionary developmental biology ExoLance ExoMars Exobiology Radiation Assembly Exoplanetology Exoplanets Exotheology Explorer of Enceladus and Titan Exposing Microorganisms in the Stratosphere Extragalactic astronomy Extrasolar planet Extrasolar planets Extraterrestrial hypothesis Extraterrestrial intelligence Extraterrestrial life Extraterrestrial liquid water Extraterrestrial sample curation Extraterrestrials in fiction Extremely Large Telescope Extremely large telescope Extremophile Extremophiles Far-infrared astronomy Fast radio burst Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, and Phooey Fermentation Fermi paradox Fine-tuning (physics)Firstborn hypothesis Flower Fluoromethylidynium Fobos-Grunt Food chain Forbidden mechanism Formaldehyde Formamide Formic acid Formyl radical Forward-contamination Fossil Foton-M Fox News Frank Drake French Space Agency Freshwater biology Fringe science Fruit flies in space Fulminic acid Function (biology)Fungus Félicette Galactic astronomy Galactic habitable zone Galapagos Rift Gale (crater)Gamma-ray astronomy Gauss's Pythagorean right triangle proposal Gavriil Adrianovich Tikhov Gene expression Gene flow Generative biology Genetic drift Genetics Genome Genomics Geobiology Geology of Mars Geology of solar terrestrial planets Geomicrobiology Gerontology Giant tube worm Glossary of astronomy Glycine Glycolaldehyde Glycolonitrile Gran Telescopio Canarias Graphene Gravitational-wave astronomy Gravitational microlensing Great Filter Ground tissue H2NCO+HC4N HCCN HD 164595 HOMO–LUMO gap Habitability of F-type main-sequence star systems Habitability of G-type main-sequence star systems Habitability of K-type main-sequence star systems Habitability of binary star systems Habitability of brown dwarf systems Habitability of natural satellites Habitability of neutron star systems Habitability of red dwarf systems Habitability of yellow dwarf systems Habitable zone Habitable zone for complex life Habitat Hale Telescope Halonium ion Hans Freudenthal Hart–Tipler conjecture Hayabusa2 Heavy water Hebrew astronomy Helium hydride ion Hello from Earth Hemolithin Heptatrienyl radical Herpetology Hexatriynyl radical High-energy astronomy Histology History of X-ray astronomy History of astronomy History of biology History of life History of the extraterrestrial life debate History of the telescope Homeostasis Homochirality Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Hubble Space Telescope Human biology Human digestive system Human evolution Human mission to Mars Human presence in space Human spaceflight Hydrogen Hydrogen chloride Hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen deuteride Hydrogen fluoride Hydrogen isocyanide Hydrogen peroxide Hydrogen sulfide Hydrogenation Hydromagnesium isocyanide Hydroperoxyl Hydrothermal vent Hydroxyl radical Hydroxylation Hypothesis Hypothetical types of biochemistry IAU designated constellations Icebreaker Life Ichthyology Imidogen Immune system Immunology In-situ resource utilization In situ Index of biology articles Indian astronomy Infrared astronomy Inorganic chemistry Intelligence Intergalactic dust Internal environment International Journal of Astrobiology International Space Station Interplanetary contamination Interplanetary medium Interstellar communication Interstellar formaldehyde Interstellar medium Introduction to evolution Introduction to genetics Inuit astronomy Iosif Shklovsky Iron(II) cyanide Iron(II) oxide Iron–sulfur world theory Isocyanic acid Isocyanoacetylene Isoformyl J. B. S. Haldane James Webb Space Telescope Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jezero Crater Jon Lomberg Joshua Lederberg Journal of Cosmology Journey to Enceladus and Titan Jupiter Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer Kardashev scale Kathrin Altwegg Kazachok Kepler (spacecraft)Kepler mission Kerogen Ketene Ketenimine Ketenyl L4 (spacecraft)Lander (spacecraft)Laplace-P Large Binocular Telescope Leaf Life Life Investigation For Enceladus Life on Europa Life on Mars Life on Mars (planet)Life on Titan Life on Venus Light-year Lincos language Linda Salzman Sagan Linguistics Lipid Lipidology List of French astronomers List of Martian meteorites List of Russian astronomers and astrophysicists List of alleged extraterrestrial beings List of astronomers List of astronomical catalogues List of biology journals List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules List of interstellar radio messages List of life sciences List of microorganisms tested in outer space List of optical telescopes List of potentially habitable exoplanets List of spaceflight-related accidents and incidents List of topics in space List of women astronomers Lists of telescopes Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment Locomotion in space Long Duration Exposure Facility Low Earth orbit MELOS MERMOZ Macroevolution Magnesium cyanide Magnesium isocyanide Magnesium monohydride Magnetosphere Mainstream media Mammalogy Marine biology Marine snow Mariner program Mars Mars 2020 Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher Mars Express Mars Geyser Hopper Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Mars Science Laboratory Mars sample-return mission Mars sample return mission Marshall Space Flight Center Martian spherules Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.Mathematical and theoretical biology Matter Maya astronomy Mechanical philosophy Mediocrity principle Meiosis Mendelian inheritance Metabolism Metaphysics Meteorite Meteorites Methane Methanethiol Methanol Methoxy Methoxyethane Methyl acetate Methyl cation Methyl formate Methyl isocyanate Methyl isocyanide Methyl radical Methylamine Methylene (compound)Methylene amidogen Methylenimine Methylidyne radical Methylidynephosphane Michael N. Mautner Microbiology Microbiome Microevolution Mitosis Molecular biology Molecule Molecules in stars Monkeys and apes in space Monomer Moons of Saturn Multi-messenger astronomy Murchison meteorite Muscular system Music in space Mussel Mutation Mycology N-Methylformamide NASA NASA Astrobiology Institute NIROSETI Nadezhda (cockroach)Nakhla meteorite Naphthalene Natural selection Nature (journal)Neil deGrasse Tyson Neocatastrophism Neontology Nervous system Neuroscience Neuroscience in space Neutrino astronomy New Frontiers program Nexus for Exoplanet System Science Nikolai Kardashev Nitric oxide Nitrogen Nitrous oxide Nitroxyl Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Non-planetary abiogenesis Noosphere Norman Horowitz Northern Light (spacecraft)Nuclear power in space Nucleic acid Nucleic acids Nucleotide Nutritional science O/OREOS OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb OREOcube OSIRIS-REx Observational astronomy Ocean Worlds Exploration Program Ocean planet Oceanus (Titan orbiter)Octatetraynyl radical Oparin Opportunity (rover)Optical telescope Orbital mechanics Orbiting Frog Otolith Organ (biology)Organelle Organic chemical Organic chemistry Organic compound Organic compounds Organic molecule Organism Origin of life Ornithology Osteology Outer space Outline of astronomy Outline of biology Outline of extraterrestrial life Oxidizing agent Oxygen Oxygenation (environmental)Ozone PAH world hypothesis PH PNAS PSR B1919+21 Paleobiology Paleontology Panspermia Parasitology Pathology Peer review Perseverance (rover)Persian astronomy Pharmacology Philosophy Philosophy of cosmology Philosophy of mind Phloem Phoenix (spacecraft)Phoenix lander Phosphine Phosphorus mononitride Phosphorus monoxide Photobiology Photodissociation region Photometry (astronomy)Photosynthesis Phycology Phylogenetics Physical cosmology Physiology Pioneer plaque Planet Simulator Planetarium Planetarium hypothesis Planetary geology Planetary habitability Planetary habitability in the Solar System Planetary oceanography Planetary protection Planetary science Planetary system Plant Plant stem Plants in space Poetica Vaginal Politics Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon Polymer Polyyne Pomology Population (biology)Population ecology Post-detection policy Post-transcriptional modification Potassium chloride Potassium cyanide Potential cultural impact of extraterrestrial contact Primatology Primordial soup Principle of mediocrity Prix Guzman Proc. SPIE Project Cyclops Project Hail Mary Project Hail Mary (film)Project Ozma Project Phoenix (SETI)Prokaryote Propadienylidene Propene Propionaldehyde Propionitrile Propynal Propyne Propynylidyne Protein Proteomics Protist Protistology Protocell Protonated carbon dioxide Protonated cyanoacetylene Protonated formaldehyde Protonated hydrogen cyanide Pseudo-panspermia Pseudoscientific Psychological and sociological effects of spaceflight Pyrene Pyrimidine Quantum biology Quantum cosmology Quiet and loud aliens RNA world hypothesis Radar astronomy Radiation Radio astronomy Rare Earth hypothesis Red dwarf Redox Reductionism Regolith Regulation of gene expression Relational biology Religion in space Remote sensing Remote sensing (archaeology)Reproduction Reproductive biology Reproductive system Resource (biology)Respiratory system Rhizocarpon geographicum Richard B. Hoover Rings of Saturn Robert Heinlein Rocket fuel Root Rosalind Franklin (rover)Rosetta (spacecraft)Rotorcraft Rover (space exploration)Rusavskia elegans Russian Federal Space Agency Russian invasion of Ukraine SERENDIP SETI SETI@home SHGb02+14a Saccharomyces cerevisiae San Marino Scale Saturn Science ScienceDaily Scientific law Scientific method Scientific theory Search for extraterrestrial intelligence Sebastian von Hoerner Self-replication Serbian folk astronomy SetiQuest Sex in space Shergotty meteorite Shoot (botany)SiNC Sidewalk astronomy Silane Silicon-carbide cluster Silicon carbide Silicon carbonitride Silicon monosulfide Silicon monoxide Silicon tricarbide Silylidyne Sleep in space Sociobiology Sodium chloride Sodium cyanide Sodium hydroxide Sodium iodide Solar System Solar panels on spacecraft Southern African Large Telescope Soviet Union Soviet space dogs Space-based economy Space-based radar Space-based solar power Space.com SpaceX Red Dragon Space Age Space Cola Wars Space Flyer Unit Space Science Reviews(journal)Space advertising Space archaeology Space architecture Space art Space burial Space climate Space colonization Space debris Space environment Space ethics Space exploration Space farming Space food Space force Space law Space logistics Space manufacturing Space medicine Space psychology Space selfie Space technology Space telescope Space toilet Space tourism Space trade Space warfare Space weapon Space weather Space weathering Spaceflight Spanish Astrobiology Center Spatial biology Speciation Spectroscopy Spherical astronomy Spirit (rover)Sputnik 1 Star Star formation Stars Stephen Hawking Stimulus (physiology)Structural biology Structure Submillimetre astronomy Subsurface ocean Sulfanyl Sulfur dioxide Sulfur mononitride Sulfur monoxide Sun Sunlight Superhabitable planet Synthetic biology Systematics Systems biology THEO Tabby's Star Tanpopo (mission)Tanpopo mission Tardigrade Tardigrades in space Taxonomic rank Taxonomy (biology)Technosignature Teen Age Message Telescope Temperature Teratology Terrestrial Planet Finder The Astrophysical Journal Letters The Living Cosmos The New York Times The Star Beast (novel)Thiocyanic acid Thioformaldehyde Thioformyl Thioxoethenylidene Tholin Tianwen-1 Tibetan astronomy Tidal lock Timeline of astronomy Timeline of biology and organic chemistry Tissue (biology)Titan (moon)Titan Mare Explorer Titanium(II) oxide Titanium dioxide Toxicology Trace Gas Orbiter Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite Triatomic molecule Tricarbon Tricarbon monosulfide Tricarbon monoxide Trident (spacecraft)Trihydrogen cation UFO religion Ultraviolet astronomy Uniformity of motive United Kingdom Universe Universe Today VVV-WIT-07 Vascular plant Vascular tissue Vegetable Production System Venus In Situ Explorer Very Large Telescope Viking 1 Viking 2 Viking biological experiments Viking lander biological experiments Viking program Vinyl alcohol Vinyl cyanide Virology Virophysics Virus Viruses Visible-light astronomy Voting in space Voyager Golden Record W. M. Keck Observatory Water Water hole (radio)Water on Mars Welfare biology Women in space Wow! signal Writing in space X-ray astronomy X-ray telescope Xenoarchaeology Xenobiology Xenology (disambiguation)Xylem Yamato 000593 Zhurong (rover)Zodiac Zond 5 Zoo hypothesis Zoology

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