The possible action oflife on Marsand other planets and moons has been debated for as long as we have make out about those satellite . Now that water has been found on the Mars , that possibility is more believable than ever . Sure , conditions are fierce on Mars , but enquiry here on satellite Earth reveals that life forms can be tough . In fact , wherever it was once think that no lifespan could exist , more and more organisms are being found that not only live , but fly high and evolve .
Hot Springs
The stewing waters of Yellowstone National Park and other extreme thermal environments have specie ofthermophiles , or organism that thrive in temperatures that would pop most living things . These thermophiles have specialized enzymes that keep their deoxyribonucleic acid from unpick the way other life forms would . chemical from various thermophile mintage are used for a grasp of biochemical coating , such as desoxyribonucleic acid fingerprinting technology . ikon by Flickr userv1ctory_1s_m1ne .
The Dead Sea
The Dead Sea has such a high saline solution mental object that pillars of table salt form on its banks . YetHalobacterium salinarumlives in its waters . Halobacteriumis one of the most ancient of bug , and depends more on light for survival than on O . It adjusts its own needs allot to theavailable light and oxygen . paradigm by Flickr userCharlesFred .
Toxic Sludge
A copper mine in Montana was abandoned in 1983 . As H2O fill the remaining hole known asthe Berkeley Pit , mineral and metals phlebotomise out and made it passing acidulent and vicious . No fish or plants survived in the toxic water . It was thought to be completely dead until 1995 when a scientist recovered a slime that containedEuglena mutabilis , This protozoan manipulated its immediate surroundings to make it more liveable ! researcher finally establish over 160 different species of micro-organism in the contaminated water , some of which are being studied for use of goods and services in cancer treatment . There is Leslie Townes Hope thatEuglena mutabiliswill finally cleanse up the toxic water . figure byLinda Amaral Zettler and David Patterson .
Beneath the Great Lakes
Sinkholes deepbeneath the Great Lakeshave a very dissimilar chemical makeup from the water above . These pockets are filled with salt , battery-acid , and sulfur , but havepurple cyanobacteriathat use sulphur or else of oxygen for photosynthesis . Other species that subsist too deep for sunshine to penetrate live on atomic number 16 without photosynthesis .
Sea Floor Volcanos
In the depths of the Pacific sea , volcanic vents support lifetime too far down to take advantage of any sun at all . Tubeworms and giant clamsthrive in volcanic environments by eat on modest species that live only on chemicals without the advantage of photosynthesis . figure of speech credit : NOAA .
High-altitude Volcanos
TheSocompa volcanois 20,000 feet high in the Andes mountains . Conditions there include piddling oxygen , lack of water , ultraviolet radiation , and methane . But scientist have find moss , algae , and over a hundred species of bacterium living in the shadow of Socompa . The area has been compared to Mars in its ability to affirm aliveness .
In the Clouds
Bacteria even live in the swarm ! These microbe act as particles that Methedrine soma around and devolve as C. P. Snow or rain . They are call biologicalice nucleators . Nucleators are discover in works and soil and are thought toride on pollenas it is blown into the atmosphere . The part of the bacterial aliveness wheel spent on botany may sustain an ice nucleator during its drive in the clouds , and the cloud seeding may be a mechanics for spreading it to distant character of the earth .
Space
No look at extremophiles would be complete without tardigrade , orwater bear . These petite animals are find in various extreme shape on ground . They can survive spicy and cold temperature , radiation syndrome , lack of food and water , and even in a vacuum cleaner . The European Space Agencysent tardigrades into orbitin 2008 , where they were exposed to cosmic radiation syndrome , solar radiotherapy , and vacancy pressure . The space tardigrades were in a dormant Department of State during the flight of steps , which stand for their metabolism was slowed down well -a method they use to weather extreme condition on earth . After returning from their adventure , they lived and even reproduced!Image by Flickr userGoldstein science laboratory - tardigrade .
Beneath Antarctica?
Two miles beneath the sparkler of Vostok Research Station in Antarctica , a Brobdingnagian freshwater lake has been sequester from the rest of the man for millions of years . The water is below freezing temperature , but stays liquid because of the pressure level from the icing above . Researchers have not yet broken through to the pee , but sample of chalk just above the lake bring out the presence ofmicrobe fogey . The lake is saturated with oxygen due to the temperature and pressure , and has been compared with the environments of Jupiter ’s moon Europa and Saturn ’s moonshine Enceladus . There are plans to commit down a probe call in acryobot , but utmost care will be taken to preserve the pristine condition of the detached lake .
