Life on Mars could potentially endure; such survival is contingent upon being part of unusual, hybrid organisms.
Lichens, the Martian Survivors?
Earth's oddball lifeforms, lichens, might just be tough enough to make the Red Planet their new home, a new study hints.
In a nutshell, these lifeforms can survive a year's worth of Mars' radiation in less than a day, according to a lab test. Talk about resilience!
Mars, the distant, arid cousin of Earth, ain't no walk in the park. It's essentially one giant desert with thin air, biting cold, and no visible water. But the real kicker? The lack of a powerful magnetic field, which usually acts as a shield against damaging radiation from space.
But sit back and grab some popcorn, because these lichens, hybrid organisms consisting of fungi and algae or bacteria, might just be the ones to buck this trend. Some species can even handle being exposed directly to space's vacuum.
In the experiment, researchers subjected two lichen species - Diploschistes muscorum and Cetraria aculeata - to a barrage of Martian radiation. They recreated Mars' atmospheric conditions at the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw and blasted those little critters with a year's worth of Martian radiation in just 5 hours. Both species kept on functioning metabolically.
You might wonder, which species are best prepared for Martian life? D. muscorum showed the greatest resistance, suggesting this species might thrive better on Mars than others. Yet, no lichen, or any lifeform for that matter, could probably hang on Mars without water, a vital necessity for life as we know it on Earth.
So, is there life on Mars? Not at the moment, but these findings could pave the way for exploring Martian life in the future.
Looking ahead, lichens might just be prime candidates for accompanying future Mars expeditions. But don't count out other resilient species, such as the invincible tardigrades. And let's not forget mosses, which have shown resistance to gamma rays and liquid nitrogen, hinting they might fare well on the Red Planet.
Stay tuned as we explore more about this exciting frontier of space exploration!
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[1] Research Study A on Lichens and Mars Radiation[2] Rateh, M. T., Ghaffar, M. A., Khattak, S. A., Alam, M. A., & Toot, T. R. (2019). Lichen diversity, distribution, growth and productivity: A review. Ecologica Montenegrina, 28(2), 37-47.[3] Research Study B on Lichens and Desert Conditions[4] Research Study C on Lichens and Extraterrestrial Environments
[1] The resilience of lichens could potentially revolutionize our understanding of space-and-astronomy, especially when considering the possibility of life on Mars.
[2] Scientists are excited about the potential role of lichens in future technology, as they might serve as indomitable explorers in the realm of space-and-astronomy, venturing where humans cannot withstand.
