Atmospheric microbes: Difference between revisions
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By Robert Gallo | By Robert Gallo | ||
The atmosphere, despite lacking a constant medium for organisms to live on, contains many microbes that live in it. Microbes enter the atmosphere as soil is lifted from the surface by winds, bringing the microbes that live in that soil into the atmosphere as well.<ref>[https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/microbial-ecology-in-the-atmosphere-the-last-extreme-environment]</ref> | The atmosphere, despite lacking a constant medium for organisms to live on, contains many microbes that live in it. Microbes enter the atmosphere as soil is lifted from the surface by winds, bringing the microbes that live in that soil into the atmosphere as well.<ref name=1>[https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/microbial-ecology-in-the-atmosphere-the-last-extreme-environment]</ref> While previously these microbes were thought to be exclusively dormant, there is a growing body of work demonstrating atmospheric microbes that have an active metabolism.<ref>[https://academic.oup.com/gbe/article/7/5/1216/603778]<ref> While studying these organisms remains difficult due to the lack of a standardized method of capturing and culturing them,<ref name=1> these organisms are researched for their interactions with the terrestrial biosphere, their potential role as condensation nuclei, and as a possible model for extraterrestrial life. | ||
==The Environment of the Atmosphere== | ==The Environment of the Atmosphere== | ||
Revision as of 20:44, 2 June 2020
Introduction
By Robert Gallo
The atmosphere, despite lacking a constant medium for organisms to live on, contains many microbes that live in it. Microbes enter the atmosphere as soil is lifted from the surface by winds, bringing the microbes that live in that soil into the atmosphere as well.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title While previously these microbes were thought to be exclusively dormant, there is a growing body of work demonstrating atmospheric microbes that have an active metabolism.<ref>[1]<ref> While studying these organisms remains difficult due to the lack of a standardized method of capturing and culturing them,<ref name=1> these organisms are researched for their interactions with the terrestrial biosphere, their potential role as condensation nuclei, and as a possible model for extraterrestrial life.
