Category Scope

55 Exobiology

Includes astrobiology; planetary biology; and extraterrestrial life. For the biological effects of aerospace environments on humans see 52 Aerospace Medicine; on animals and plants see 51 Life Sciences. For psychological and behavioral effects of aerospace environments see 53 Behavioral Science.

Definition

Exobiology – Field of biology that deals with the search for extraterrestrial life and the conditions that may give rise to life on other planets or elsewhere in the Universe. May also be defined to include the study of effects of extraterrestrial environments on living organisms. NASA Thesaurus, Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

NASA Interest

Exhaustive Interest : All facets of biology concerning outer space (beyond the Earth's atmosphere) and the planets (other than planet Earth); including the search for extraterrestrial life and the origin of life in the Universe.

Selective Interest : Biological research concerned with the nature and origin of life on Earth; the chemical composition, growth, development, and reproduction of life on Earth; the adaptation of life to extremes of altitude, temperature, atmospheric conditions, drought, etc. with possible applications to exobiology and the search for extraterrestrial life.

Negative Interest : Medical, agricultural and botanical, animal, and microbial biology as it relates to and results from existing earthbound life.

Input Subjects of Specific Interest