Principles of Geobiochemistry

Research Article| December 01, 2015 Principles of Geobiochemistry Everett L. Shock; Everett L. Shock 1School of Earth & Space Exploration and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85357, USAE-mail: eshock@asu.edu2The NASA Astrobiology Institute Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Eric S. Boyd Eric S. Boyd 2The NASA Astrobiology Institute3Department of Microbiology & Immunology and the Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State UniversityBozeman, MT 59717, USAE-mail: eboyd@montana.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Everett L. Shock 1School of Earth & Space Exploration and School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85357, USAE-mail: eshock@asu.edu2The NASA Astrobiology Institute Eric S. Boyd 2The NASA Astrobiology Institute3Department of Microbiology & Immunology and the Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State UniversityBozeman, MT 59717, USAE-mail: eboyd@montana.edu Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1811-5217 Print ISSN: 1811-5209 © 2015 by the Mineralogical Society of America Elements (2015) 11 (6): 395–401. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.11.6.395 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Everett L. Shock, Eric S. Boyd; Principles of Geobiochemistry. Elements 2015;; 11 (6): 395–401. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.11.6.395 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract The basic premise of geobiochemistry is that life emerged on Earth where there were opportunities for catalysis to expedite the release of chemical energy in water–rock–organic systems. In this framework, life is a planetary response to the dilemma that cooling decreases the rates of abiotic processes to the point that chemical energy becomes trapped. Catalysis via metabolism releases the trapped energy, and life benefits by capturing some of the energy released. Out of necessity, biochemical processes have geochemical origins, and geobiochemistry asserts that these origins can be revealed by mapping reaction mechanisms onto deep time. We propose five principles that should help guide research in the emerging field of geobiochemistry. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.