The Microbial Basis of Life
An episode of the Gresham College Lectures podcast, hosted by Gresham College, titled "The Microbial Basis of Life" was published on October 13, 2022 and runs 56 minutes.
October 13, 2022 ·56m · Gresham College Lectures
Summary
Single-celled microbes underpin all life on Earth, and even complex organisms like humans retain a surprising amount of their microbial heritage. Life began when free molecules became encapsulated in a lipid membrane and transformed into a self-replicating entity. Subsequently, multiple cells came together, forming a remarkable symbiosis that ultimately led to all complex, eukaryotic, cells and laid the foundations for multicellular life. Understanding this microbial legacy has some surprisin...
Episode Description
Single-celled microbes underpin all life on Earth, and even complex organisms like humans retain a surprising amount of their microbial heritage. Life began when free molecules became encapsulated in a lipid membrane and transformed into a self-replicating entity. Subsequently, multiple cells came together, forming a remarkable symbiosis that ultimately led to all complex, eukaryotic, cells and laid the foundations for multicellular life.
Understanding this microbial legacy has some surprising implications, such as explaining why some antibiotics have unwanted side effects.
A lecture by Professor Robin May
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/microbial-life
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