Existing comment:
SOME LIKE IT HOT
HEAT-RESISTANT BACTERIA: The vivid colors around the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park result from microbial mats that grow around the edges of the water. Life can survive even at the hot temperature of 160 ºF (71 ºC). The boardwalk path on the lower right side indicates the size of this thermal vent.
Understanding how life survives in extreme environments informs and guides the search for life beyond Earth. The extreme environments on Earth may be analogous to those on different planets and moons. Thus, extraterrestrial life may exist even on a hot or cold planet. |