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04-11-2010, 02:14 PM
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#1
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My Boat, My Rules
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Oxygen Shmoxygen
Think oxygen is a requirement for multicellular life? Think again. As ScienceNow reports, a team of Danish and Italian researchers have discovered the first anaerobic multicellular organisms in the depths of the Mediterranean Sea. The organisms, dubbed Loricifera, live in a basin made up of salt brine "so dense that it doesn't mix with the oxygen-containing waters above."
ScienceNow's story includes more juicy details:
The researchers also found examples of individuals that contained eggs and evidence of apparent molting, which led them to conclude that the animals spend their whole lives in the harsh sediments. The creature's cells apparently lack mitochondria, the organelles that use oxygen to power a cell. Instead they are rich in what seem to be hydrogenosomes, organelles that can do a similar job in anaerobic (or oxygen free) environments.
If you can grasp talk of prokaryotes, protozoa, eukaryotes, and metazoans, the full study (including images) is available in PDF format through this page on the BMC Biology website.
Link
Kinda throws a wrench in the whole "no planets that can support life" idea.
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04-11-2010, 02:25 PM
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#2
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Hitmanimal
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Los Angeles
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 270KIDZ
Kinda throws a wrench in the whole "no planets that can support life" idea.
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I don't know of any credible astronomer that would suggest there is no possibility for other planets capable of supporting oxygen-based life.
But this certainly opens the horizons quite a bit
__________________
Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati Disclaimer: I don't currently work in paintball, my opinions are my own.
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04-11-2010, 05:01 PM
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#3
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My Boat, My Rules
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Umami
I don't know of any credible astronomer that would suggest there is no possibility for other planets capable of supporting oxygen-based life.
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We have been searching the skies for 40 years looking for "conditions that could support life" and havent found much of anything. This changes the whole ball game.
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ST:S:F - 2010 Co-UNK Memorial Relentless Troll of the Year
"Originally posted by Nips80: You are the best poster ever! I wish I could be like you!"
"Originally posted by Ninja Mouse: Please teach me how to be as awesome as you!"
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"Originally posted by Umami: Please let me have your babies. I want my children to have at least one parent that isn't retarded."
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04-11-2010, 05:34 PM
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#4
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It's fizzix.
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Illinois
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We've only had the techniques to detect exoplanets for about 15 years. We've discovered several that may support life, but we have no way of knowing if life actually exists on them. Problem is that most life supporting planets would likely be smaller in size (similar to Earth/Mars/Venus), but those have a very small effect on the mother star's wobble; so little so that we can't tell if it's merely experimental error.
Also, this is just the first anaerobic MULTIcellular life discovered. We've known of anaerobic bacteria and archeae for at least 100 years now, so the affect on the search is minimal at best.
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04-11-2010, 07:01 PM
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#5
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strength beyond strength
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nflvikings
Also, this is just the first anaerobic MULTIcellular life discovered. We've known of anaerobic bacteria and archeae for at least 100 years now, so the affect on the search is minimal at best.
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I was just going to say, I know there are things that exist which are anaerobic.
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ST:F - Playin with the boys
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04-11-2010, 09:11 PM
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#6
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My Boat, My Rules
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I realize this isnt like discovering America but a step is still step. Whats with all the negativity?
__________________
ST:S:F - 2010 Co-UNK Memorial Relentless Troll of the Year
"Originally posted by Nips80: You are the best poster ever! I wish I could be like you!"
"Originally posted by Ninja Mouse: Please teach me how to be as awesome as you!"
"Originally posted by Treghc: You are my hero and my idol. If you were gay like me, I would totally make love to you."
"Originally posted by Umami: Please let me have your babies. I want my children to have at least one parent that isn't retarded."
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04-11-2010, 09:29 PM
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#7
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Wow, it is blue.
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: New Richmond, WI
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 270KIDZ
Whats with all the negativity?
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On this little sub-forum? I'm pretty sure it's a requirement.
Heck, you can make a post containing premature ejaculation joke and humorously implying a major religious figure is a gay wiper and you'd still get people using it as a reason to be negative.
Good example of natural selection if you think about it.
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David Johnson, AKA Fubarius.
Nunquam emere possis quae facitis
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04-12-2010, 07:22 AM
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#8
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Liberty Or Death
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If you ask me there is probably life on mars, or at least remains of life. On the hottest summer day you could walk around in a tee shirt granted adequate oxygen.
__________________
American Politics & Incremental loss of freedom
Republicans: War on drugs, Forcing religion down our throats.
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04-12-2010, 09:40 AM
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#9
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Mega Flagellator
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Paintball
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While that's great and all, I think the main requirement for life is liquid water.
Find an organism that doesn't use water, and then we'll talk.
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If you don't have anything nice to say, say it on the internet.
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04-12-2010, 09:57 AM
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#10
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: The River
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Quote:
While that's great and all, I think the main requirement for life is liquid water.
Find an organism that doesn't use water, and then we'll talk.
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Life requires water to live as it evolved ON OUR PLANET. Life could have evolved in very different, even inconcievable ways on other planets.
__________________
"It is always better to have no ideas than false ones; to believe nothing, than to believe what is wrong." -Thomas Jefferson
"it really doesnt matter what you say on here. if there was truly evidence, it would come from a professor, not from a member on pbnation.com." - Anonymous poster
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04-12-2010, 10:03 AM
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#11
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surrender...don't move
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: across the Jordan river
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wavesport001
Life requires water to live as it evolved ON OUR PLANET. Life could have evolved in very different, even inconcievable ways on other planets.
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Troof
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Which thief ~»†††«~ are you?
ChristKrew #185
Anointing foreheads with the paintball for a while now. Where's God? - Read Luke 15:11-32
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04-12-2010, 01:40 PM
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#12
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Mega Flagellator
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Paintball
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wavesport001
Life requires water to live as it evolved ON OUR PLANET. Life could have evolved in very different, even inconcievable ways on other planets.
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Great? I don't see your point.
We're talking about life as we know it. Are there places on this earth that are void of water? Yet all organisms require water. We can infer, that since every life-form we've come across requires water, that every life-form requires water. By your line of thinking, you could also consider that they have entirely different elements than us. Maybe instead they don't use matter at all, they're an omnipotent force which watches over us and makes sure we don't have sex.
If you saw a planet filled with liquid water, and a barren meteor-scarred mercury, which one would you place your money on? Which one is worth a second look?
The fact that an anaerobic multicellular organism exists is great, but it doesn't say huge volumes about what extraterrestrial life is like. While it's significant, that life can "thrive" in different conditions than we're used to, we'll still be looking at planets with liquid water, oxic or anoxic isn't really a consideration. Any form of life would be remarkable. If we find one that doesn't use water, that would be even better. But until then, we'll be searching on planets that have liquid water, without consideration of oxygen content.
__________________
If you don't have anything nice to say, say it on the internet.
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04-12-2010, 01:47 PM
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#13
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Resident Agnostic
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MVPaintballer
Maybe instead they don't use matter at all, they're an omnipotent force which watches over us and makes sure we don't have sex.
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Damn them. Damn them to hell.
Oh, and we may not have to look for liquid water, MVP, but water in any form be it ice or vapor. But I get what you're saying - water which is accessible to life forms (which may exclude some ice planets).
Also, we have what we consider "green zones" around stars which is where we'd spend 90% of our time looking for living beings. This is because, as MVP said, we take what we're most familiar with and use that as a basis for exploration.
Last edited by Crede777 : 04-12-2010 at 01:49 PM.
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04-12-2010, 04:43 PM
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#14
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Live Long and Bluster
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: SE PA
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Plants?
__________________
"Once I make someone die, and they see me....they can't change their mind." -- God
Originally posted by matt00iconoclast:
"there are variables outside of physics that will affect the flight of the ball"
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04-12-2010, 08:03 PM
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#15
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Mega Flagellator
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Paintball
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spock
Plants?
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Need Oxygen
__________________
If you don't have anything nice to say, say it on the internet.
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04-12-2010, 09:28 PM
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#16
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My Boat, My Rules
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spock
Plants?
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lol not really sure who that was directed to
__________________
ST:S:F - 2010 Co-UNK Memorial Relentless Troll of the Year
"Originally posted by Nips80: You are the best poster ever! I wish I could be like you!"
"Originally posted by Ninja Mouse: Please teach me how to be as awesome as you!"
"Originally posted by Treghc: You are my hero and my idol. If you were gay like me, I would totally make love to you."
"Originally posted by Umami: Please let me have your babies. I want my children to have at least one parent that isn't retarded."
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04-12-2010, 09:50 PM
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#17
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strength beyond strength
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Hey, MVP, go respond in the philosophy thread
__________________
ST:F - Playin with the boys
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04-13-2010, 07:16 AM
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#18
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Live Long and Bluster
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: SE PA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 270KIDZ
lol not really sure who that was directed to
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"Think oxygen is a requirement for multicellular life?" Plants are a form of "multicellular life".
Quote:
Originally Posted by MVPaintballer
Need Oxygen
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Oh? Which process would you be referring to?
Photosynthesis is as follows:
6 CO2 + 6 H2O → C6H12O6 + 6 O2
Carbon dioxide + Water + Light energy → Glucose + Oxygen
__________________
"Once I make someone die, and they see me....they can't change their mind." -- God
Originally posted by matt00iconoclast:
"there are variables outside of physics that will affect the flight of the ball"
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04-13-2010, 09:45 AM
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#19
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And this relates to religion, how exactly?
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04-13-2010, 09:52 AM
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#20
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It's fizzix.
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Illinois
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Krring
And this relates to religion, how exactly?
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Because we like talking about science in here, shush.
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04-13-2010, 09:58 AM
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#21
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: The River
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Oxygen is a requirement for cellular respiration in both plants and animals. While it's true that plants produce oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis, they also require oxygen when photosynthesis isn't occurring. They obtain this oxygen through tiny openings in the leaves called stomata.
Quote:
We're talking about life as we know it. Are there places on this earth that are void of water? Yet all organisms require water. We can infer, that since every life-form we've come across requires water, that every life-form requires water. By your line of thinking, you could also consider that they have entirely different elements than us. Maybe instead they don't use matter at all, they're an omnipotent force which watches over us and makes sure we don't have sex.
If you saw a planet filled with liquid water, and a barren meteor-scarred mercury, which one would you place your money on? Which one is worth a second look?
The fact that an anaerobic multicellular organism exists is great, but it doesn't say huge volumes about what extraterrestrial life is like. While it's significant, that life can "thrive" in different conditions than we're used to, we'll still be looking at planets with liquid water, oxic or anoxic isn't really a consideration. Any form of life would be remarkable. If we find one that doesn't use water, that would be even better. But until then, we'll be searching on planets that have liquid water, without consideration of oxygen content.
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All organisms require water because the first life on earth evolved in a watery environment. Life elsewhere could have evolved in any environment and use any elements (why not silicon instead of carbon?). I agree we start looking for life as we know it, we can't do anything else, but extraterrestrial life may in fact be so different that we don't recognize it as life at all.
__________________
"It is always better to have no ideas than false ones; to believe nothing, than to believe what is wrong." -Thomas Jefferson
"it really doesnt matter what you say on here. if there was truly evidence, it would come from a professor, not from a member on pbnation.com." - Anonymous poster
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