07. Get a life! (Extreme edition)
Task:
1. Understand what extremophiles are, where they are found on Earth, and how they live.
2. Explain how the existence of extermophiles may lead to the Panspermia hypothesis.
1. Use this website to explore extremophiles found on Earth.
2. Create a table like the one below in your notebook.
3. Use the information below to see what type of extremophile would be most likely to be found on the planets.
Just FYI
Earth atmosphere: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% argon, and 0.03% carbon dioxide
Earth temperature: 288K
Mars
-thin and unbreathable atmosphere
-atmosphere contains 95% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogen, 1.5% argon, trace amounts of water, and no oxygen or ozone
-temperatures range from –125oC to 25oC (223K)
-some rocks are basalt (volcanic lava, as in Hawaii)
-polar ice caps made of CO2 ice with possible water ice beneath
Venus
-extremely high atmospheric pressure
-atmosphere contains 96.5% carbon dioxide, 3.5% nitrogen
-little to no water
-sulfuric acid rain
-mean surface temperature of 740 K (daytime and nighttime)
Europa (moon of Jupiter)
-icy surface
-possible water oceans beneath icy crust
-subject to partial melting due to tidal forces from Jupiter
Titan (moon of Saturn)
-thick atmosphere is ~90% nitrogen
-instead of oxygen (like Earth) the atmosphere contains methane, ethane, argon, and hydrogen compounds
-surface temperature of 93 K (-180oC)
-composed mainly of methane and ammonia ice
-possible ethane oceans
Io (moon of Jupiter)
- average is about 130 K (-143 oC
-active volcanism
-sulfur dioxide atmosphere
-boiling sulfur and sulfur dioxide geysers with temps as high as 2000 K (1723 oC)
Triton (moon of Neptune)
-surface composed of a mixture of ices of nitrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide surrounded by a thin atmosphere
-surface temperature of 40 K (-235oC)
4. Watch the videos about Tardigrades to see how they are useful to Science. Why do scientists think that the existence of Tardigrades supports the Panspermia hypothesis?
5. Watch this TedEd lesson and explain why scientists think that comets are a source of life on Earth?
Putting it all together
- formulate a conclusion in your notebook about why studying extremophiles can give scientists clues about life on other planets as well as the possibility that life on Earth came from somewhere else (Panspermia hypothesis).
You can watch the below video for more explanation.