Life :: essays research papers

Until recently, scientists believed that the sole source ofenergy responsible for life on earth was the sun. In 1977, a crowd of scientists researching the theory of plate tectonics,traveled to the floor of the equatorial Pacific Ocean anddiscovered something that could possibly explain how lifebegan on this planet. From the Galapagos Rifts thermalsprings, scientists discovered thickly populated communities ofseveral species never before observed. Since that time theFederal Government has devoted more than 10 million dollarsto research these communities and their evolutionary history. This figure, to many scientists dismay, is dramatically lessthan that of the piazza exploration programs budget. Forexample, in 1992, the government budget for oceanographyresearch was $600 million while NASA spent 8.5 billion. We knowmore about the space around us than we do about our ownhome. Only 1 percent of the sea floor has been mapped. The seais the largest, most inaccessible, and least unders toodecosystem on this planet.Since studies of these communities began, previous notionsthat cold darkness, and extreme pressure are inimical to life form been disproved. We now know that an ecosystem can besustained by ridiculous energy sources. The animals that havebeen discovered in hydrothermal electrical outlets are fascinating as wellas extremely important. The structure of these creatures issuch that a new terra firma has been discovered/created. Previously scientists divided the living world into twokingdoms bacteria, also known as prokaryote andeukaryotes (plants and animals). The difference between thetwo kingdoms was their genetics. The DNA of these freshdiscovered animals was distinct from the two other kingdoms. They have been called archaea. Research on these animals islimited since they do not grow and culture well in alaboratory. These animals live in extremely hot temperaturesof 160 degrees Fahrenheit and higher, while microbes have beenfound living in boiling wa ter. This revelation surely mustinesschange all of the "rules" we have for health standards. Thesenewly discovered facts must dramatically change the way wethink of life on earth.Living in these vents are entire communities ofinvertebrates tube worms, mussels, clams, and even shrimp. Inthe absence of light and without the photosynthesizingplankton that provide most sea life with food, these animalshave an alternate way to live. These invertebrates haveformed symbiotic relationships with the bacteria living withthem. The mechanics of this relationship are incrediblyinteresting. Bacteria thrive on sulfide which is found in ventwater (hydrogen sulfide). They use the sulfides chemical energyto produce organic carbon compounds similar to how plantsuse solar energy in photosynthesis. The bacteria employchemical rather than light energy to transform inorganic