Name: Jacob G.
ProgramYear: 2004
Submit Date: Jul 12, 2004
Review Date:

Final Project Possibly the biggest question on the minds of many involving a mission to Mars is whether or not there is life somewhere on or within its surface. If in fact there is life on Mars, it will be one of the greatest scientific discoveries in written history, for it validates theories that humans are not alone in the vast expanse that is the universe. It has been hypothesized before that Mars’ surface would be much too inhospitable for life and that if life does exist there, it only exists beneath the surface. This hypothesis comes from looking at different microorganisms here on Earth. Many of these organisms live far below the surface of Earth and receive no sunlight. This is significant because it means that organisms could live on Mars without contact with sunlight. These organisms could possibly obtain their energy from chemical reactions underground, just as many organisms here on Earth do. A proposed underground ecosystem on Earth has been called a subsurface biosphere and deals with the interactions between organisms and their surroundings far beneath the surface of the Earth. This same subsurface biosphere could very well exist on Mars even though it is likely there is no molten core such as that on Earth. Liquid water existing deep beneath the surface of Mars may be the best source of life inside this subsurface biosphere. And although may not be a source of heat from inside Mars, there may still be a wide variety of organisms that developed there. Superthermophilic organisms have been known to live at temperatures of 300 degrees F. With this in mind, it is not impossible to imagine that life can exist at the opposite of the temperature spectrum as well. Another fine example of the development of life without sunlight is that of the Columbia river basalt province. The province was formed with an extremely high incidence of cooled lava. When the lava cooled it formed many holes which allowed underground water to flow. There was a high content of CH4 and H2 that helped a multitude of organisms develop there. This example of underground life here on Earth may closely resemble different arrangements on Mars. For example, in its creation, Mars was an extremely volatile planet and contains a large amount of cooled lava under its surface. There is also expected to be underground water in many parts of Mars such as the Vallus Marineris. These conditions could very well lead to life even without the presence of oxygen in its elemental form. According to Todd O. Stevens and James P. McKinley of the Pacific Northwest Laboratory Mars may very well house life “because basalt, liquid water, and bicarbonate are believed to be present in the martian subsurface..." One type of organism may also be present on or near Mars’ northern pole, were water is expected to be present. These organisms are called psychrophiles. They have been known to develop on Antarctica where it is extremely cold. They usually develop at –2 degrees C and won’t develop after 2 degrees C. These organisms are extremely rugged and survive freeze/thaw cycles. This is also encouraging because it provides proof that organisms can and may grow at extremely cold temperatures and may very well exist on or near the surface of Mars if water is present. They were also found in methane ice on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. These “ice worms” are extremely interesting because of the fact that they live in methane. It is hypothesized that they may feed of other organisms that grow on the ice or live symbiotically with them. This discovery is exciting because it reveals two different species that live in places previously viewed as inhospitable. Another type of organism that may flourish on Mars is the Acidophiles. The acidity and salinity of Mars that makes it impossible for Earth plants to grow may encourage this type of organism to flourish. The final type of organism that may exist on Mars is the Xerophile, which can survive with almost no moisture. These kinds of organisms have been found to exist in the desert. These same type of organisms may exist with little water on Mars as well. There is also a final way in which organisms may exist on Mars, which is that they have developed with any combination of these attributes. If so, than the possibilities of life on Mars and other planets are extremely high. With all of this information in mind, many scientists have come to believe that the best place to search for life would be 10 to 20m below the surface of Mars. This would provide the best combination of pressure, water, and other conditions that would support the widest variety of organisms. Finding organisms on or underneath the surface of Mars would be ideal. However, if no organisms are found, there is one far-fetched method apart from analyzing fossils that may in fact be used to prove if Mars life once existed. This is to take preserved DNA from microorganisms and rejuvenated the dormant organisms. This may be possible considering the highly controversial results achieved by Dr. Raul Cano who may have resurrected microorganisms over 30 million years old. Others feel that organisms my not even live below the surface of Mars. This is due to the amount of radiation received from the Sun. They feel this may permeate through Mars’ soil. Even so, there are organisms which are extremely resistant to the type of radiation put out by the sun. In conclusion, it is extremely important that scientists find irrefutable evidence in favor or against life on Mars. If they do not, the controversy will remain just as in the debate over the Martian asteroid and the evidence it brought with it. Until then, we must consider the extreme conditions under which organisms live on Earth. When taking this into consideration, it may turn out that life is not as fragile as we humans think and that we as humans have only be a slim example of the types of organisms that Mother Nature can produce. http://www.spaceref.com/redirect.html?id=0&url=www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/publicat/frontier/7-97/7extreme.htm http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/Dec96/LifeUnderground.html http://www.spaceref.com/redirect.html?id=0&url=www.nhm.ac.uk/zoology/extreme.html http://www.spaceref.com/redirect.html?id=0&url=www.science.psu.edu/iceworms/iceworms.html http://www.spaceref.com/redirect.html?id=0&url=whyfiles.news.wisc.edu/008amber/molec_bio.html