Tag Archives: extremophiles

Conan the Bacterium, a potential Martian?

Conan the Bacterium, also known as Dionococcus Radiodurans Evolution, as far as we know, has always been pushing the limits of adaptability, allowing organisms to survive in the harshest of environments. Life that is extremely adaptable to almost all living environments are called extremophiles, hence their name. Scientists have recently hypothesized that some of Earth’sContinue reading “Conan the Bacterium, a potential Martian?” Continue reading

Posted in Aliens, Terrestrials | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Conan the Bacterium, a potential Martian?

Extremophile Viability in Space

In 2014, a group of scientists studied the viability of four different types of extremophiles in space-like conditions. These conditions that replicated an experience on Mars included extreme low temperatures, levels of UV radiation, humidity, and low pressure. The extremophiles in the experiment were Sulfolobus solfataricus from Solfatara volcano in southern Italy that can liveContinue reading “Extremophile Viability in Space” Continue reading

Posted in Aliens, Class | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Extremophile Viability in Space

Thermus Aquaticus

Thermus Aquaticus is an extremophile that can survive extremely hot temperatures. It is a species of bacteria, whose scientific classification is Bacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, Deinococci, Thermales, Thermaceae, Thermus, Thermus Aquaticus (Domain, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species). Thermus Aquaticus is a chemotroph, which means it obtains food through chemosynthesis. The species was first discovered in 1969Continue reading “Thermus Aquaticus” Continue reading

Posted in Class, Terrestrials | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Thermus Aquaticus

Tardigrades

Tardigrades are the toughest animals that we have yet discovered, not due to their physical strength, but rather their incredible ability to survive. People praise cockroaches for their ability to survive levels of radiation that would be lethal to humans, but the real heroes are microscopic “water bears” called tardigrades. Tardigrades are extremophiles, or micro-organisms … Continue reading Tardigrades Continue reading

Posted in Class, Universe | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Tardigrades

Extremophiles 101

Extremophiles produce some of the color at the Grand Prismatic Spring Wikipedia defines “an extremophile as an organism that thrives in physically or geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to most life on Earth.” This means that if extremophiles were your classmates, they will totally be the cool kids in the class. Not only are … Continue reading Extremophiles 101 Continue reading

Posted in Space Travel | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Extremophiles 101

Resilient Life on Earth Increases Possibility of Extraterrestrial Life

Believe it or not, there are organisms on Earth that can survive unimaginable conditions! These beings are called extremophiles, and they’re nothing short of amazing. One example is the tardigrade, which can live in the most extreme heat, cold, dehydration and radiation. The simple fact that these organisms exist give us reason to believe that … Continue reading Resilient Life on Earth Increases Possibility of Extraterrestrial Life Continue reading

Posted in Class, Exoplanets | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Resilient Life on Earth Increases Possibility of Extraterrestrial Life

Are Extremophiles Our Roommates?

Extremophiles are microorganisms that can survive in extreme conditions, such as high temperatures or great acidity. A recent study has found extremophiles in a location much more familiar to us, and it’s actually in the homes of humans. The study took samples from water heaters across all 50 states. Around 50% of the tested samples … Continue reading Are Extremophiles Our Roommates? Continue reading

Posted in Observables, Science | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Are Extremophiles Our Roommates?

The Case for Tardigrades

I can’t remember if it was Cosmos or Planet Earth, but it was narrated by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. My roommate and I were watching it before bed, and it was fascinating. Almost the entire episode was dedicated to tardigrades, more colloquially known as water bears. These microscopic animals are uncannily resilient. Like, scarily so. According […] Continue reading

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Case for Tardigrades

A Whole New World!

Because the caves, mines, and crevasses on Earth are filled with extremophiles, NASA uses those lifeforms as a guide to its exploration of the universe. The hidden parts of the planet have to make their own way of survival. Surface life has photosynthesis, but subsurface only a tiny fraction of that energy trickles down so … Continue reading A Whole New World! Continue reading

Posted in Class, General, Observables, Terrestrials | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on A Whole New World!

Enter The Hypolith

Hypoliths are photosynthetic bacteria that inhabit the desert. Despite the Namib desert in Namibia being one of the most extreme environments on Earth, hypoliths thrive under quartz rock under these harsh conditions. This desert can go years without rain and it is subject to constant solar radiation and scorching heat. With very little water and … Continue reading “Enter The Hypolith” Continue reading

Posted in Aliens | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Enter The Hypolith