- Chroococcidiopsis
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Chroococcidiopsis Scientific classification Kingdom: Bacteria Phylum: Cyanobacteria Class: Cyanophyceae Order: Chroococcales Family: Xenococcaceae Genus: Chroococcidiopsis
Geitler, 1933Type species Chroococcopsis gigantea
Geitler, 1933Chroococcidiopsis is one of the most primitive cyanobacteria, blue-green algae, known. It is a photosynthetic, coccoidal bacteria and is known for its ability to survive harsh environmental conditions, including both high and low temperatures, high salt content, ionizing radiation, and high salinity. Organisms that are capable of living in such harsh conditions are referred to as extremophilic.
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Desiccation resistance
The ability of Chroococcidiopsis to resist desiccation in arid environments is due in part to the fact that it colonizes the underside of translucent rocks. The underside of these rocks provides enough condensed moisture for growth while the rock's translucent nature allows just enough light to reach the organism for photosynthesis to occur.
Mars colonization
Due to its resistance to harsh environmental conditions, especially low temperature, low moisture, and radiation tolerance, Chroococcidiopsis has been thought of as an organism capable of living on Mars. Scientists have speculated about the possibly of introducing Chroococcidiopsis to the Martian environment to aid in the formation of an aerobic environment. In addition to oxygen production, Chroococcidiopsis could aid in the formation of soil on the Martian surface. On Earth, soil is formed from the decomposition of organic matter. On Mars, because there is no organic matter present, the organic material from the microbes themselves would provide the necessary organic matter. The soil and oxygen produced by these organisms could one day provide the conditions necessary for humans to grow food on Mars, possibly allowing for permanent human civilizations on the planet. This plan, however, is not feasible because the Martian surface, at approximately −55 °C (−67 °F), is far too cold for Chroococcidiopsis to survive. The surface temperature would have to be raised to just above freezing for the bacteria to survive.[1][2]
See also
References
- ^ "Greening of the Red Planet". NASA. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast26jan_1/. Retrieved 3/14/2011.
- ^ Billi, Daniela; Friedmann, Hoffer, Caiola, Ocampo-Friedmann (April 2000). "Ionizing-radiation resistance in the desiccation-tolerant cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis". Applied and Environmental Microbiology 66 (4): 1489–1492. http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/66/4/1489.
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