--- product_id: 255907138 title: "Oxygen: The Molecule That Made the World" price: "AED 123" currency: AED in_stock: true reviews_count: 5 url: https://www.desertcart.ae/products/255907138-oxygen-the-molecule-that-made-the-world store_origin: AE region: United Arab Emirates --- # Oxford Landmark Science classic 35% ancient oxygen levels evolution & aging insights Oxygen: The Molecule That Made the World **Price:** AED 123 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 🌍 Breathe in the story that made life extraordinary! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Oxygen: The Molecule That Made the World - **How much does it cost?** AED 123 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ae](https://www.desertcart.ae/products/255907138-oxygen-the-molecule-that-made-the-world) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Modern Life Decoded:** Understand aging, disease, and longevity through oxygen’s biological impact. - • **Evolutionary Game-Changer:** Reveals oxygen’s role in the origin of photosynthesis, sexes, and complex life. - • **Science Meets Storytelling:** A thrilling narrative that connects molecular biology to the fate of dinosaurs. - • **A Must-Read Science Classic:** Part of Oxford Landmark Science, reshaping how we see life and nature. - • **Unlock Earth's Oxygen Secrets:** Explore how oxygen shaped giant prehistoric life and global ecosystems. ## Overview Oxygen: The Molecule That Made the World is a captivating Oxford Landmark Science book that unravels oxygen’s profound influence on life’s evolution, from giant Carboniferous insects to modern aging and disease. Combining environmental science, molecular biology, and evolutionary theory, it offers fresh perspectives on how oxygen shaped the biosphere and our very existence. ## Description Oxygen has had extraordinary effects on life. Three hundred million years ago, in Carboniferous times, dragonflies grew as big as seagulls, with wingspans of nearly a metre. Researchers claim they could have flown only if the air had contained more oxygen than today - probably as much as 35 per cent. Giant spiders, tree-ferns, marine rock formations and fossil charcoals all tell the same story. High oxygen levels may also explain the global firestorm that contributed to the demise of the dinosaurs after the asteroid impact. The strange and profound effects that oxygen has had on the evolution of life pose a riddle, which this book sets out to answer. Oxygen is a toxic gas. Divers breathing pure oxygen at depth suffer from convulsions and lung injury. Fruit flies raised at twice normal atmospheric levels of oxygen live half as long as their siblings. Reactive forms of oxygen, known as free radicals, are thought to cause ageing in people. Yet if atmospheric oxygen reached 35 per cent in the Carboniferous, why did it promote exuberant growth, instead of rapid ageing and death? Oxygen takes the reader on an enthralling journey, as gripping as a thriller, as it unravels the unexpected ways in which oxygen spurred the evolution of life and death. The book explains far more than the size of ancient insects: it shows how oxygen underpins the origin of biological complexity, the birth of photosynthesis, the sudden evolution of animals, the need for two sexes, the accelerated ageing of cloned animals like Dolly the sheep, and the surprisingly long lives of bats and birds. Drawing on this grand evolutionary canvas, Oxygen offers fresh perspectives on our own lives and deaths, explaining modern killer diseases, why we age, and what we can do about it. Advancing revelatory new ideas, following chains of evidence, the book ranges through many disciplines, from environmental sciences to molecular medicine. The result is a captivating vision of contemporary science and a humane synthesis of our place in nature. This remarkable book might just redefine the way we think about the world. Oxford Landmark Science books are 'must-read' classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas, and shaped the way we think. Review: Will change the way you see things. - Challenges what you thought you knew and provides true insight and a new thoughtful view of "how things actually work" Review: The centrality of Oxygen for life on Earth - The book is split in two parts, the first dealing more with the evolution of the atmosphere composition and its effects on the biosphere, the second with aging and death of organisms. To be honest I liked the first part more than the second, but this biased point of view is solely due to the interest I have towards the story of life on Earth. The second section is interesting nonetheless, and conveys really fascinating and new insights into the workings of Nature. Oxygen is central in our lives and in the story of life on Earth more than you think. One recommendation, while reading: keep int account that some sections need specific knowledge of chemistry and biology. The only think I can say is, read it slowly, because it's packed with interesting stuff and it's worth the time that you spend. ## Features - Oxford University Press USA ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #133,376 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #56 in Biochemistry #244 in Linguistics Reference #362 in Evolution | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 257 Reviews | ## Images ![Oxygen: The Molecule That Made the World - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51MMMrKTAKL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Will change the way you see things. *by M***N on 31 December 2025* Challenges what you thought you knew and provides true insight and a new thoughtful view of "how things actually work" ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The centrality of Oxygen for life on Earth *by D***O on 20 August 2017* The book is split in two parts, the first dealing more with the evolution of the atmosphere composition and its effects on the biosphere, the second with aging and death of organisms. To be honest I liked the first part more than the second, but this biased point of view is solely due to the interest I have towards the story of life on Earth. The second section is interesting nonetheless, and conveys really fascinating and new insights into the workings of Nature. Oxygen is central in our lives and in the story of life on Earth more than you think. One recommendation, while reading: keep int account that some sections need specific knowledge of chemistry and biology. The only think I can say is, read it slowly, because it's packed with interesting stuff and it's worth the time that you spend. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book is the best I have red in a looong time! I came to learn something about oxygen ... *by J***R on 9 September 2017* but this book gave me so much more! It made me understand life better than I could ever imagine. By studying biochemisty by myself as well as the author Nick Lane, I taught I knew quite a bit about the topic but Nick Lane explained it in such a thrilling and comprehensive way that I felt in love again with my study subject. In the book is explained why we age, and how we can slow down this process and even more it gives so much answeres to life generally and also answeres the question: "What came first? Egg or Hen?" What more can you expect of a book? Great book, great author!!! ## Frequently Bought Together - Oxygen: The Molecule That Made the World - The Vital Question: Why is life the way it is? - Transformer: The Deep Chemistry of Life and Death --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ae/products/255907138-oxygen-the-molecule-that-made-the-world](https://www.desertcart.ae/products/255907138-oxygen-the-molecule-that-made-the-world) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Arab Emirates* *Store origin: AE* *Last updated: 2026-07-07*