The pathway leading to the tree
1. The tree's microbial branches: The fungi
The tree's phantom branch
The impact of the tree's microbes
Part 1. Discovering the tree of life
2. Relationships among organisms: Taxonomy
Macromolecules hold the key
3. Enter DNA: Writing instructions for life
Does ribosomal RNA have a longer reach?
4. The Rosetta Stone: Discovering the third domain of life
5. From the tree's roots to its branches: A taxonomy of bacteria and archaea
Naming the major divisions of life
Prokaryotes and eukaryotes
Impact of Woese's methods
Part 2. Doubts and complications
6. Genes from neighbor. DNA on the loose
7. Can the receiving cell just say no?
Restriction and modification
Horizontal gene transfer among prokaryotes
8. Can the tree be trusted?
Are there other candidates?
What threat is horizontal gene transfer to the tree of life?
Part 3. The tree's benefits
9. Low-hanging ecological fruit
Distorting the microbiome of our gut
Other impacts of the microbiome
Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)
Part 4. The origin of life
10. The tree's beginnings
Did life originate at the bottom of the ocean?
The Dyson view of life's beginnings
In the beginning remains just there.
