Thread: Seriousness Nasa discovers a New form of life?
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Old 12-09-2010, 11:45 AM   #33
WT Sharpe
Bah, humbug!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT View Post
Its importance, as far as life elsewhere in the universe is concerned, is that it opens up the very real possibility of life based on arsenic rather than phosphorus in places such as Saturn's moon Titan.
A fantastic find on NASA's part, if it holds up. From what I've heard, the reason arsenic is so toxic to other life forms is that it's chemical composition so closely resembles phosphorus that cells have a hard time differentiating between the two. Discovering a life form that thrives on arsenic extends the types of environments where life could exist.
Last edited by WT Sharpe; 12-09-2010 at 11:50 AM.
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