I've read about bacterial endospores coming back on space equipment and still being able to grow and reproduce, so it makes sense that bacterial endospores would have survived the trip to Mars. Doesn't that mean we put life on Mars that could now grow and evolve? Does anyone have any more information or ideas about this?
2006-12-06 11:59:59 · 11 answers · asked by Sara 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I just wanted to add a bit about bacterial endospores surviving space trips. Endospores are not actually "cells", they are very tough, dormant organelles that contain the important genetic information required to reproduce and withstand very extreme conditions only to reproduce when the environment is right.
"With the LDEF mission, for the first time B. subtilis spores were exposed to the full environment of space for an extended period of time (nearly 6 years), and their survival was determined after retrieval. The samples were separated from space by a perforated aluminum dome only, which allowed access of space vacuum, solar UV radiation, and most of the components of cosmic radiation (72). Figure 12 shows that even in the unprotected samples, thousands of spores survived the space journey (from an initial sample size of 108 spores)."
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=10974126
2006-12-06 12:21:06 · update #1
This is a very important issue with space exploration. And in fact, all unmanned spaceships are carefully sterilized before they are launched, to try to keep the chances of contaminating other planets. Also, since it takes a few years to get to Mars, going through space the whole time, and the martian surface is also quite hostile to life, almost all microorganisms would be killed off before they got there.
However, if they did get there, and got into an environment where they could grow (such as if they got down into the ground, or somewhere near the equator where it went above freezing temperature), it would be quite possible to contaminate Mars with terrestrial life. If any native life existed, it is also not too unlikely that it would be aversely affected and even wiped out by our bacteria. So far we haven't seen any signs that we've accidentally contaminated Mars, but it remains a possibility (and it is even more dangerous on certain other planetary objects such as Europa or Io, both of which are much less hostile to terrestrial life than Mars is).
2006-12-06 12:05:54 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In theory, yes. However, you are correct--space probes like the Mars Rovers are carefully sterilized before launchto avoid contamination. The main reason is not that anyone is worried about bacteria evolving to higher lifeforms (for one thing, taht would take hundreds of millions of years. But it sure would mess up the serch for signs of life if we contaminate the planet or moon a probe is supposed to be exploring!
2016-05-23 02:14:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No...everything within and without the spacecraft was STERILIZED by germ-killing fluids and light. The heat of decent through the Mars atmosphere also prevents "cross-germ" spreading. All our scientists are familiar with "War of the Worlds".
2006-12-06 12:04:48 · answer #3 · answered by acct10132002 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What a great question! Yes we introduced many things to Mars. Our effect is unknown, and the future is unwritten! I would Love to think Mars has water and life!
2006-12-06 12:04:09 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would take millions of years for that bacteria for grow and adapt into anything even multi-cellular so we will never see life on mars with only bacteria.
2006-12-06 12:03:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
lets hope so! terra forming should have begun as soon as we had the capabilities to reach the other planets. with introduction of carefully chosen bacterias and enzymes the first steps could be taken toward habitibility of these worlds. at present time the rate of change would be so slow that we would have many centuries to study these enviroments in their original states, but at least the process will have begun.
2006-12-07 06:22:37 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The rover was undoubtably built in a clean room. I remember reading an article about how they actually are very carefull in making sure that they leave absolutely clean.
2006-12-06 12:03:29 · answer #7 · answered by Mike 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think all modern spacecraft are constructed in clean rooms to prevent bacteria from spreading and also to stop dust from getting into the delicate equiptment.
2006-12-06 12:02:51 · answer #8 · answered by HK 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This isn't news bacteria have been found on Mars frozen for a very long time. Mars has water...frozen of course and where there is water there is life. Bacteria is life therefore there is life on Mars....just frozen in time.
2006-12-06 12:08:18 · answer #9 · answered by sprydle 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
good point...but how can we really tell if the bacteria is still alive on mars...the rover died 3 monts after geting there...
2006-12-06 12:03:32 · answer #10 · answered by Johnny B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋