Monday, October 23, 2006

Extremophiles...on Mars?


Well, those pesky little extremophiles can't seem to leave us alone. They're in the news again - this time by giving credence to the idea that life may be possible on Mars. Apparently some microbes collected from Antarctic lakes are able to survive AND reproduce at temperatures as low as minus 28 degrees Celsius - comparable to some Martian subsurface temperatures.

Speaking with no expertise on the matter, I honestly doubt that life exists elsewhere in our solar system, but if it does, extremophiles are sure to be the life-forms found out there. You just can't get rid of those little buggers.

Life on Mars?



4 comments:

Spielah said...

I love those pesky extremophiles. Something makes me think I am the only one blogging anymore. I enjoyed the article a lot, it would be so amazing to find life on Mars, but I doubt any living thing except organisms like extremophiles actually exist. - 28 degrees celcius sounds really cold, I'm pretty sure those extremophiles are bad bitties. It would be interesting to find that the soil contains elements needed for life on mars. Anyway I better get some homework done, see everyone tomorrow

Alyssa said...

I actually visit this blog quite regularly but i usually can't think of an intelligent comment to write but i do agree that extremophiles are very interesting. At least more than pedophiles ha ha.

Anonymous said...

Lol, Alyssa...

Kinilaw11 said...

...I want to be an extremophiles!After discussing it in our class, I got interested in them. Spielah was in our S&T digest with the most intelligent comment.I think no living organism out in the space exists except for extremophiles. One example of extremophiles is the Deinoccocus radiodurans. It can survive cold, dehydration, vacuum, and acid, and is therefore known as a polyextremophile and has been listed as the world's toughest bacterium in The Guinness Book Of World Records.This unique microbe can live through radiation levels that are a thousand times stronger than what humans can withstand.

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