There are certain animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and viruses that tolerate and actually thrive in extreme conditions. These organisms are called extremophiles. The word extremophile breaks up into “extreme” and the suffix “phile” literally means “one who loves.” These organisms flourish in the uninhabitable places that vary from extremely high and low temperatures, high pressures, high salinity, the absence of water, and extreme amounts of radiation just to name a few. Many of these organisms will possess multiple extreme characteristics. The comparison of these organisms that live in these extreme environments, with an emphasis on the Tardegrade, has begun to help Astrobiologists to understand whether or not there is life in the extreme
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This bacterium lives in a vast number of locations varying from pieces of granite in Antarctica to a sample of African elephant dung. This organism can withstand 1000 times more radiation than a human due to its remarkable way of repairing its DNA, which only takes about an hour after an extremely high dose of radiation, but also because it carries four copies of its DNA versus only one. Scientists believe they have also identified a protein that allows for the repair of DNA after being exposed to radiation called RecA. After the genome has been exposed to radiation, the genome is left in fragments. RecA finds these fragments and splices them back together. With this remarkable adaptation, scientists have begun to take the genes from D. radiodurans and insert them into other organisms in order to create a “superbug.” With the new mutated “superbug” they hope to improve an organism that will be able to withstand high amounts of radiation and be able to convert radioactive material located at nuclear waste sites into less harmful compounds. (DeWeerdt, 2001). D. radiodurans has been called “the world’s toughest bacterium” and there has not been much opposition to that …show more content…
Generally, when they are in an active state, meaning they crawl, eat, reproduce, etc, they are the toughest animals alive. When exposed to extreme conditions, the Tardigrade exhibit an extreme answer to the stresses called cryptobiosis, or anabiosis. When in this state, their metabolism cannot be detected. They can continue to be exposed to extremely high X-ray radiation, as high as 570,000 rads. They appear unaffected by very high pressures or vacuum. These animals can handle temperatures over 150° Celcius down to 272.8° Celcius, which is close to absolute zero. They can undergo freezing, then thawing, then frozen again, and seemingly return to their normal state. These animals can be exposed to high salt concentrations, noxious chemicals, lack of water or dehydration, and even boiling alcohol. These animals are thermophilic, psychrophilic, halophilic, barophilic, xerophilic, and
This bacterium lives in a vast number of locations varying from pieces of granite in Antarctica to a sample of African elephant dung. This organism can withstand 1000 times more radiation than a human due to its remarkable way of repairing its DNA, which only takes about an hour after an extremely high dose of radiation, but also because it carries four copies of its DNA versus only one. Scientists believe they have also identified a protein that allows for the repair of DNA after being exposed to radiation called RecA. After the genome has been exposed to radiation, the genome is left in fragments. RecA finds these fragments and splices them back together. With this remarkable adaptation, scientists have begun to take the genes from D. radiodurans and insert them into other organisms in order to create a “superbug.” With the new mutated “superbug” they hope to improve an organism that will be able to withstand high amounts of radiation and be able to convert radioactive material located at nuclear waste sites into less harmful compounds. (DeWeerdt, 2001). D. radiodurans has been called “the world’s toughest bacterium” and there has not been much opposition to that …show more content…
Generally, when they are in an active state, meaning they crawl, eat, reproduce, etc, they are the toughest animals alive. When exposed to extreme conditions, the Tardigrade exhibit an extreme answer to the stresses called cryptobiosis, or anabiosis. When in this state, their metabolism cannot be detected. They can continue to be exposed to extremely high X-ray radiation, as high as 570,000 rads. They appear unaffected by very high pressures or vacuum. These animals can handle temperatures over 150° Celcius down to 272.8° Celcius, which is close to absolute zero. They can undergo freezing, then thawing, then frozen again, and seemingly return to their normal state. These animals can be exposed to high salt concentrations, noxious chemicals, lack of water or dehydration, and even boiling alcohol. These animals are thermophilic, psychrophilic, halophilic, barophilic, xerophilic, and