1. What is it? Is it on other planets?
Life on Earth
What is it? Is it on other planets?

2. Definition of Life?
Something that maintains homeostasis, grows, and reproduces
Fire?
Crystals?
Something that grows and adapts
Computer program?
Something that has a metabolic process
Something that has a genetic code
Dependence on water?

3. “Definitions are concerned only with language and concepts; they can't expand our understanding of the world. We can only define things we already understand.”
-Carol Cleland

4. Requirements for Life? Sun Appropriate temperature Neutral pH levels
One atmospheric pressure
Water
However is this just for humans???
What about on foreign lands?

5. Erwin Shrodinger Physicist
1944 defined life as something that, “…avoids the decay into equilibrium.”
Second Law of Thermodynamics=entropy always increases
When you die, your body reaches entropy
Living things avoid entropy by taking in nutrients

6. Benton Clark Astrophysicist at the University of Colorado
Also works for Lockheed Martin
Life exhibits 102 qualities
Three main qualities
Life reproduces, uses energy, and these functions follow instructions in the organism
RNA & DNA
Benton Clark is an astrophysicist at the University of Colorado and Lockheed Martin
Dr. Benton C. Clark III, MER science team member and Chief Scientist of Space Exploration, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Astronautics Operations, Denver

7. Benton Clark cont. Crystals are not alive because they haven’t evolved
Not all living organisms reproduce
Mules & honeybees
People
Dependence on water?

8. Does All Life Need Water?
Life on Earth evolved with water, therefore it is dependent on it
On Earth, life has been able to adapt to harsh environments
Sulfuric acid as a solvent on Venus
Methane-ammonia mixtures on Jupiter
Extromophiles
Acidophiles living in the clouds of Venus?

9. Extremophiles!!
Life on the edge!!

10. What are Extremophiles?
Microbes living where nothing else can
How do they survive?
Extremozymes
Why are they are interesting?
Extremes fascinate us
Life on other planets
Practical applications are interesting
Medicine
Food preservation
Sterilization

11. Extremophile History Definition - Lover of extremes History
Suspected about 30 years ago
Known and studied for about 20 years
Temperature extremes
boiling or freezing, 1000C to -10C (212F to
30F)
Chemical extremes
vinegar or ammonia (<5 pH or >9 pH)
highly salty, up to ten times sea water

12. Types of Extremophiles
Thermophiles and Hyperthermophiles
Psychrophiles
Acidophiles
Alkaliphiles
Barophiles
Endoliths
Halophiles
Mostly autotrophs

13. Research Project
Choose a specific extremophile with two other partners.
Research the specific conditions where they live
What makes them so extreme?
How do they survive their extreme environment?
Give examples of ones we have found as well as their specific location
Create a PowerPoint to share your research with the class!
Make sure to include pictures in your presentation!

14. Thermophiles & Hyperthermophiles Extreme Temperatures
Densely packed proteins prohibit internal water
Hyperthermophiles ℃ ( ℉)
Found in hot acidic spring in Yellowstone
Also found near “black smokers”
Stops growing below 200℉

15. Archaea Strain 121
Location: Yellowstone National Park

17. Psychrophiles
Organisms that grow best in low temperatures ℃ ( ℉)
Thrive in Arctic and Antarctic Oceans
Lower than -18℃ (0 ℉)is lethal, except for Panagrolaimus davidi
Natural antifreeze

18. Panagrolaimus davidi
Location: Antarctic
Length: 1mm

19. Acidophiles Life in sulfuric ponds pH levels from 1 to 5
Ability to pump out hydrogen atoms keeps internal pH at 6.5
Cyanidium caldarium, a red algae; and Dunaliella acidophila, a green algae, can survive below pH 1
Ferroplasma acidarmanus, a fungi, lives at pH 0 in Iron Mountain, California

20. Cyanidium
A red algae
Location: Yellowstone National Park

21. Deinococcus radiodurans
Most durable organism known to man
Can withstand radiation of 1.5 million rads
In guiness book of world records

22. Alkaliphiles Live in soda lakes (Kenya) and carbonate-rich soils
pH levels from 9-11
Maintain internal pH of 8 from pumping hydrogen ions across cell membranes into the cytoplasm

23. Barophiles Thrive deep in the ocean or far underground
Most live at pressures of atmospheres, but die at 1 atmosphere

24. Bacillus Infernus
Location: Gold Mine in Africa

25. Endoliths Organisms that live inside of rock or the pores in the rock
Others feed on organic compounds from the autrotrophs
Black smokers
Thrive above 110℃
4 - 7 km below the surface
May exist on Mars

26. Acropora Cytherea
Discovered under Johnston Atoll

27. Halophiles
Thrive in high saline environments 10 x more saline than sea water (30% salt content)
Accumulate potassium and glycine-betaine to offset high salinity
May survive for millions of years in fluid inclusions of salt deposits
Have been found on Mars
Europa and Callisto may have underground saline oceans

28. Dunaliella salina
Found in California’s pink salt lakes

29. Life Comic Book Get out your ET Table.
Use your table to figure out where certain extremophiles could live.
Choose an extremophile and a planet/moon and create a comic about the discovery of life!!