5 Creatures That Can Survive the Most Extreme Conditions
So you think you’re pretty
tough, don’t you? You think you live on the razor’s edge of life? Well,
compared to many creatures on this planet, you and I are soft. We like
sunlight and water and we can’t get too cold or too hot or else we’ll
die. But many creatures, called extremophiles, can live in downright
hostile environments.
Extremophiles are pretty neat creatures. By studying extremophiles here on Earth, we get a better understanding of what kinds of life might exist way out in the cosmos. How cool is that?
Check out these 5 examples of extremophiles:
Snottite
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
This is basically what it sounds like: a snotty stalactite. But
snottites are actually colonies of cave-dwelling extremophile bacteria
that lives off volcanic sulfur, which, when combined with water,
produces sulfuric acid. The waste products of the bacteria have similar
properties to battery acid. If they weren’t so cool they’d be incredibly
nasty. They truly look like a bunch of snot clinging to rocks.
Giant Tube Worms
Giant tube worms, despite their name, are beautiful creatures. They live deep in the Pacific Ocean. Very deep. Up to several miles below the surface of the water. This means that they can survive extraordinary pressures. They are typically found around “black smokers,” or hydrothermal vents in the ocean floor that emit particles with high levels of sulfur-bearing minerals. Because of that, giant tube worms can withstand high levels of hydrogen sulfide.
Water Bears
Credit: Wikipedia
We’d better be super glad that water bears – aka tardigrades – tend
to be less than half a millimeter long, because they would otherwise
dominate the galaxy. These micro organisms are basically the toughest
things on the planet. Water bears are what we’d call a polyextremophile,
which means they can survive in a variety of environments that we
would consider completely unlivable. How, you may ask, can a mere water
bear compete with your big guns? How about the ability to live without
water or food for 120 years? Or the ability to withstand pressures six
times greater than what is found in the oceans? Not convinced? Well
they can also survive temperatures just above absolute zero and above
boiling point. They can withstand radiation well above what humans can
handle; like, hundreds of times higher. Water bears can even survive in
possibly the most hostile to life environment of all: the vacuum of
space. Don’t mess with water bears.
Loricifera
Credit: Wikipedia
Like the water bear, loricifera are teeny tiny microscopic animals
that live in marine sediment. There are 22 species in the loricifera
phylum, but there are three species in particular that stand out. In
the Mediterranean Sea, about 3,000 meters down, live these strange
organisms. What makes them so strange? They live their entire lives
without oxygen or sunlight. These little critters live in almost
completely salt-saturated brine, which has the effect of not mixing with
less salt-saturated water above it. They can live this way because,
unlike us, they don’t rely on mitochondria for energy. Instead they use
something called hydrogenosomes, which don’t need oxygen to create
energy.
Grylloblattidae
Credit: Wikipedia
Let’s just call these guys icebugs, because that scientific name
looks like the name of alien villain on Doctor Who. Anyway, icebugs are
wingless insects. Usually, when we think of bugs we think of a warm
climate. Well, at least that’s what I think of. But icebugs live in
basically the opposite environment. They live in extremely cold
locations – between about 34 and 39 degrees Fahrenheit – and usually at
higher elevations. They aren’t quite as hardcore as our water ear
friends, however. It’s possible to kill an icebug if the temperature
gets too low.
Extremophiles are pretty neat creatures. By studying extremophiles here on Earth, we get a better understanding of what kinds of life might exist way out in the cosmos. How cool is that?
Check out these 5 examples of extremophiles:
Snottite
Credit: Wikimedia CommonsGiant Tube Worms
Giant tube worms, despite their name, are beautiful creatures. They live deep in the Pacific Ocean. Very deep. Up to several miles below the surface of the water. This means that they can survive extraordinary pressures. They are typically found around “black smokers,” or hydrothermal vents in the ocean floor that emit particles with high levels of sulfur-bearing minerals. Because of that, giant tube worms can withstand high levels of hydrogen sulfide.
Water Bears
Credit: WikipediaLoricifera
Credit: WikipediaGrylloblattidae
Credit: WikipediaRead more: http://www.care2.com/causes/5-creatures-that-can-survive-the-most-extreme-conditions.html#ixzz2ZpWQtc1A
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