extremophiles - department of biological sciences, studies in life
TRANSCRIPT
Extremophiles
Readings:
1) Wikipedia links: “Extremophile” and “Panspermia”2) Life on the edge: Adventures of an extremophilic scientist: Darlene Lim3) Madigan & Marrs, Extremophiles. Scientific American, April 1997
DefinitionsTypesClues to the origin of life
ExtrEmophilEs
http://www.starwarsholidayspecial.com/images/photos/cantina/cantina_denizens_4.jpg
“Odd forms of life in out of the way places”
“Classic” definition:• A microorganism in the Domain Archaea that thrives
under extreme environmental conditions (temperature, pH, salinity) – Oxford Dictionary of Ecology
The three “domains” of life - Madigan & Marrs, 1997)
AcidophileAlkaliphileEndolith (cryptoendoliths)HalophileHyperthermophileHypolithLithoautotrophMetalotolerant
OligotrophOsmophilePiezophilePolyextremophilePsychrophile/CryophileRadioresistantThermophileThermoacidophileXerophile
“There are many different classes of extremophiles, each corresponding to the way its environmental niche differs from mesophilic conditions. These classifications are not exclusive. Many extremophiles fall under multiple categories. For example, organisms living inside hot rocks deep under Earth's surface are both thermophilic and barophilic.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremophile#Types_of_extremophiles
Extremophile sub-types according to Wikipedia:
Sub-groups of Extremophiles
• Thermophile
• Hyperthermophile
• Psychrophile
• Acidophile
• Alkaliphile
• Halophile - salt
pH
Temperature
Thermophilic bacteria coloring the hot springs of Yellowstone Park.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremophile#Types_of_extremophiles
Salt Ponds in San Francisco Bay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salt_ponds_SF_Bay_(dro!d).jpg
These ponds are colored by halophilicbacteria that thrive in the hyper-saline environment of these salt evaporation ponds.
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/san-francisco-incredible-stained-glass-salt-ponds/14109
Broader definitions:
An “Extremophile” can be any organism found in extreme environments (not just archaebacteria)
Tardigrades (Phylum Tardigrada) are microscopic animals (>1000 spp.) that are found from the Himalayas to the deep seas, and from the
equator to the poles.
Tardigrades are polyextremophiles and are able to survive in extreme environments that would kill almost any other animal. Some can survive temperatures of -273°C, close to absolute zero, temperatures as high as 151 °C (303 °F), 1,000 times more radiation than other animals such as humans, almost a decade without water , and even the vacuum of space. In September 2007, tardigrades were taken into low Earth orbit on the FOTON-M3 mission and for 10 days were exposed to the vacuum of space. After they were returned to Earth, it was discovered that many of them survived and laid eggs that hatched normally, making these the only animals shown to be able to survive the vacuum of space. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardigrade
Fig. 3.6Molles & Cahill, 2008
“benthic” = bottom
“pelagic”
Temperature and light penetration with depth further affect productivity and the distribution of organisms
“abyssal”
What can we learn from extremophiles?
• Alternate biochemical and physiological adaptations – novel enzymes
– Alternate biochemical pathways (chemosynthesis)
• Clues to the origin of life.
Is the Earth unique?
As far as we know, the Earth is the only planet where life exists.
It is highly unlikely that life (as we know it) exists on other planets in our solar system.
(“Goldilocks” Explanation)
Are other extreme forms of life (“extremophiles”) possible?
What about life on other planets in other solar systems in other galaxies?
What is life anyway?
Organization (low entropy, high information content)
Energy transfer, metabolism
Comprised of cells, membranes
Replication – reproduces on its own
Information content (DNA, RNA…)
Carbon-based
Composed of 25 elements (esp. Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Sulfur)
Evidence for Early Life
3.85 BYA – Evidence from Molecular evolution (early life was hot and chemotrophic)
3.8 BYA – Geological evidence (organic deposits in earliest sedimentary rocks)
3.5 BYA – Possible fossil bacteria with organic inclusions
3.2 BYA – Filamentous microfossils
3.0 – 2.7 BYA – Developed bacterial communities (photosynthetic stromatolites)
Theories regarding life’s origins:
“Primordial soup” (Miller and Urey’s experiments)
“Panspermia” – “seeding” of organic compounds or organisms from space (analysis of organic molecules in meteorites)
Evidence regarding the early Earth and life’s origins
Early conditions (first 800 MY) were hostile to “life as we know it”bombardment from outer space (accretion)extremely hotvolcanic activity – release SO2no atmosphere
Later conditionsearly atmosphere – lots of CO2, no O2, O3bombardment from outer space
Raven & Johnson 1992
Earth’s Early Energy Sources
The early Earth was a harsh environment, unsuitable for most modern-day organisms (except certain extremophiles?)
The Miller and Urey Experiment (1953) – organic molecules can be made from inorganic ones under the right conditions (believed to resemble the early Earth).
Raven & Johnson 1992
Theories regarding life’s origins:
“Primordial soup” (Miller and Urey’s experiments)
“Panspermia” – “seeding” of organic compounds or organisms from space (analysis of organic molecules in meteorites)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panspermia
Panspermia Hypothesis – the “seeds” of life exist throughout the universe (perhaps as extremophiles!). The Earth was “seeded” by life arriving from space (also called “Exogenesis”).
ALH84001 – the “Mars Meteorite”
Mars
as recounted by A. Tremain at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpi/meteorites/life.html
First reported in McKay et al. 1996, Science 273:924-930
Carbonate Inclusions in ALH84001 – consistent with biochemical processes
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpi/meteorites/life.html