An unusual salty lake in California has produced an equally strange microorganism that redefines the existence we know as it
Scientists of the National Administration for the Aeronautics and the Space (NASA) announced yesterday the finding of a bacterium that is developed and survived altering its genetic composition, different from all being alive well-known until now. The discovery abrió a new slope in the debate on extraterrestrial life, since the bacterium, well-known like GFAJ-, 1 represents a type of existence whose chemical composition was unsuspected, because it replaces phosphorus by arsenic. Felisa Wolfe-Simon, that headed the equipment of investigation of the NASA said that the bacterium was found in the lake Lake Monkey located in California, that presents/displays salinity high levels and is rich in arsenic, considered fatal for any form of life. “We know that some microbes can breathe arsenic, but what we have found it is that the microorganisms are constructing with arsenic, parts of themselves”, indicated Wolfe-Simon in a press conference when giving to know the finding. The expert said that still she is not known if the arsenic replaced to phosphorus or if it always were in the bacterium, but suggested the existence than shadow has been called “biosphera” (retort of the biosphere), used to investigate different origins from the life. The presence of a toxic like arsenic, replacing one of the six present elements in all form of life (coal, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfide) puts in doubt the evolucionista theory that it supposes a common ancestor for all the animal. The phosphorus comprises essential of the chemistry of the genetic matter (DNA and ARN) that is considered essential elements in any living cell. The scientists considered that until now the idea that existed the life required these six elements without exceptions and “is that here there is an exception”. Steven Benner, investigator in the Foundation for the Applied Molecular Evolution, suggested a reasonable explanation is that the bacteria adapted to the presence of arsenic until making it part of their genetic matter. It insinuated in addition that the finding abre to manifolds lines of investigation, one of which would be in the development of bioenergía based on arsenic, for example. “Science never to duer to me”, indicated the investigators of the NASA and added that the importance of this discovery is in which could expand the search of life in the earth and outside her.
Source Info: elinformador.com.mx
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