Microbes composed of arsenic

[big_electron]

articles.cnn.com/2010-12-02/us/nasa.extraterrestrial.life_1_arsenic-chemical-elements-nasa?_s=PM:US

Big news today.

It has been accepted that life consists of hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, phosphorus, and sulfur. Arsenic is ordinarily toxic in large amounts, but a micronutrient to nearly all organisms.

The newly found bacteria have large amounts of arsenic in their composition, and in some cases arsenic atoms substitute phosphorus atoms. A form of "alien life" right here on earth.

If such life exists here on earth, that can substitute one element for another, there has to be life elsewhere in the universe.

I ATE RAY COMFORT'S BANANA!

[Mlle Antéchrist]

Saw this in the newspaper this morning. Fascinating discovery, I hope to read up more on it later on.

[aboveathletics]

Dec 3, 2010 14:25:40 GMT -5 big_electron said:

I ATE RAY COMFORT'S BANANA!

Now THERE'S a disturbing image.

[cagnazzo]

This is the same as this thread.

The discovery is pretty cool, but not nearly as mind blowing as you'd think. Essentially, they took extremophiles that tolerated high levels of arsenic, and grew them on super arsenic-y plates. They seem to have integrated some for phosphorus, which is neat, but arsenic and phosphorus are pretty similar anyway.

The thing is, it doesn't seem like they're new life that naturally has arsenic in them, they're life that can integrate arsenic when necessary, but phosphorus is still better. And the integration only happens when the bacteria are forced to do so.

[Sigmaleph]

Dec 3, 2010 14:25:40 GMT -5 big_electron said:

If such life exists here on earth, that can substitute one element for another, there has to be life elsewhere in the universe.

Your conclusion does not follow from your premise. This only shows that the basic conditions for life are slightly broader than we had confirmed earlier, which was always a strong possibility.

[big_electron]

This is the same as another thread.

Sorry!

Does this mean I have to share Ray Comfort's banana, because I already ate it.