Where is life found on Earth? E X P L O R I N G A S T R O B I O L O G Y: Life Finds A Way Knowing where life is found on Earth helps us look for extraterrestrial life. Amazingly, as long as some basic requirements for survival are met, life finds a way to thrive almost everywhere on Earth! Atacama Desert, Chile Image: CalTech

Where is life found on Earth? E X P L O R I N G A S T R O B I O L O G Y: Basic Requirements Of Life An ongoing source of energy is required to sustain life. This energy can come from sunlight, other organisms, carbohydrates and lipids, chemicals from undersea vents, methane, and a host of other sources. Image: NASA/ ESA

Where is life found on Earth? E X P L O R I N G A S T R O B I O L O G Y: Basic Requirements Of Life Life as we know it also requires liquid water, and a specific range of temperatures. Above 266°F (130°C), organic molecules fall apart. Some large animals can tolerate low temperatures, but most bacteria and microbes can’t function below -4°F (-20°C). Image: NASA/ JPL

Where is life found on Earth? E X P L O R I N G A S T R O B I O L O G Y: Living On The Edge There are places on Earth that seem too hostile for survival—but tough organisms called “extremophiles” find a way to occupy even these unlikely locations. Acidic, toxic water- Rio Tinto, Spain Extremely salty water, San Francisco Bay Hydrothermal Vent In the Atlantic Ocean Hot spring, Yellowstone National Park Antarctic ice

Where is life found on Earth? E X P L O R I N G A S T R O B I O L O G Y: Survival Specialists Most extremophiles are microbes, though some are larger—like methane-eating ice worms! Their biochemistry, metabolism, and physiology are different from those of most species, having evolved to thrive in extreme environments. Methane-eating ice worm from Atlantic seafloor Image: Penn State University/ NOAA Cold-loving microbes adapted to living in polar sea ice Image: Christian Knoblauch

Where is life found on Earth? E X P L O R I N G A S T R O B I O L O G Y: More Extremophiles Bacteria under the surfaces of rocks in the bone-dry Atacama desert Microbes living in pockets of water under Antarctic ice Bacteria living in droplets of water in clouds Extremophiles can survive in extreme heat and cold, high radiation, very dry areas, droplets of water in clouds, and even in the depths of caves— where they live in and eat solid rock! Life keeps surprising us with its ability to adapt to challenging circumstances here on Earth. Who knows where it might exist elsewhere? Image: NOAA Image: Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute