Marine Hydrothermal Vents
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Two questions that have puzzled scientists and human beings for centuries are: Is there life on Mars?; and, How did life begin? Ironically the chemical-eating bacteria found deep beneath the ocean surface in formations known as hydrothermal vents may one day provide the answer to both questions. Historically, scientists viewed the depths of the sea as a lifeless zone lacking sunlight and cold in temperature. Any life forms living deep below the surface were thought to feed off of organic material falling from above. By 1980 this view of life 1000s of feet below the ocean surface radically changed from the discovery of what are now known as black smokers or hydrothermal vents. Scientist originally discovered hydrothermal vents near the Galapagos Islands in 1977, when geologists predicting their existence descended 8200 feet below the surface (Meadows 1).The scientist found a hydrothermal vent approximately 100 meters across with 60 Fahrenheit water pouring from openings and cracks in the sea floor (Meadows 1). Scientists were shocked to discover something more amazing than the hydrothermal vent – it was crammed full of animal life. Crabs, anemones, assorted fish and a large number of giant tubeworms were thriving in an environment scientists were convinced was uninhabitable. The remarkable discovery took the science world by storm and raised more questions than it answered. As Holger Jannasch, a geologi
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and hydrothermal vents is stark. Hydrothermal vents represent communities of organisms that are 10,000 to 100,000 times more dense than the surrounding sea floor where organisms feed off of organic matter that falls to the ocean floor (Chamberlin 4). Many of the microbes in hydrothermal vents are not bacteria, however, but are a new class known as archaea (Chohan 1). The bacteria live in and on tubeworms, within the chimney stacks of mineral deposits and exist in other places within hydrothermal vents. The creatures who exist because of the bacteria can survive in the most extreme conditions. The Pompeii worm is the most heat-resistant creature on earth. Its rear end sits in water that is 176 degrees Fahrenheit while its head rests in water that is closer to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (Chohan 1-2).
Many mysteries remain about life forms in hydrothermal vents, such as the ability of the Pompeii worm to withstand such temperatures. Some scientists are convinced that the bacteria which coat the giant tubeworms and Pompeii worms enable them to resist such extreme temperature conditions. There are also mysteries with respect to the exact way in which tubeworms provide bacteria with the needs for life and how the bacteria in turn d
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Approximate Word count = 2517
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)
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