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NASA Writing Assignment
The six main elements of life are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur. (NASA) According to biologist, life cannot exist without all six elements. Biologist were suddenly confused when NASA released a study in December of 2010. It was the discovery of a microorganism that could sustain life with close to no phosphorous. This unique microorganism’s name is GFJ-1 and is from the Halomonadaceae family. What sets apart GFAJ-1 is its ability to make cellular components out of arsenic instead of phosphorous. Phosphorous is a key component of the energy carrying molecule ATP. It also helps to keep the structure of DNA, transfer energy within the cell, and make cell membranes. The main difference is arsenic is more reactive than phosphorous. Arsenic can travel through the same channels as phosphorous, meaning that arsenic usually will destroy and breakup the chemical makeup or the DNA. On the other hand, arsenic is somehow capable of building its DNA with arsenic rather than harmed by it.
DNA is shaped physically similar to a spiral. DNA is made up of the rungs which hold the genetic code for life and the backbone which refers to the sides of the spirals ladder. The backbone consists of phosphate and sugar molecules. In order to have a phosphate molecule, it must have a phosphorous atom and four oxygen atoms. The significance of this is if there is no phosphorous then there is no phosphate. “If there is no phosphate then there is no backbone, without a backbone there is no DNA, with no DNA there is no life” (Bortman).
Is GFAJ-1 really able to substitute arsenic for phosphorous? Or is there a small amount of phosphorous still present which allows the growth to occur? One compelling p...
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...06 Mar. 2011. .
NASA Science. "Discovery of "Arsenic-bug" Expands Definition of Life."
NASA Science. 2 Dec. 2010. Web. 06 Mar. 2011.
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Singal, Jesse. "The GFAJ-1 Microbe: Not Quite Ready for Prime Time?
The Angle - Boston.com." Boston.com Web. 6 Mar. 2011. .
Yerman, Jordan. "NASA LIfe Discovery: GFAJ-1 Arsenic-Based Bacteria in Mono Lake." NowPublic. 2 Dec. 2010. Web. 5 Dec. 2011.
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