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Habitable Environments by Extremophiles on Earth, the Solar System, and Elsewhere

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Genesis - In The Beginning

Part of the book series: Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology ((COLE,volume 22))

Abstract

Life on Earth is ubiquitous. Most of the organisms that we know thrive in normal environments that we consider to be ambient habitats. Extremophiles are among the microorganisms living on the edge of life under severe conditions. In recent years, microorganisms have been discovered living in extreme environments, such as very high temperature (up to 115°C) and also at very low temperature (∼ −20°C). In addition, they can also withstand a variety of stresses, among them we mention both ends of the pH range, very strong acidity vs. high alkalinity, saturated salt solutions, and high hydrostatic pressure. Astrobiology considers the possibility that extraterrestrial civilizations may be present in some exoplanets in the large suite that has been discovered so far. The instruments of research are radio telescopes. Astrobiology also raises the possibility of life elsewhere in the Solar System. (The most promising examples are Mars, Europa, and possibly Titan and Enceladus.) We suggest that if microbial communities can thrive under extreme conditions on Earth, they could also emerge on extraterrestrial environments.

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Acknowledgment

The senior author (JS) thanks the Israeli and Hungarian Academies of Sciences and Humanities for their kindly support towards and during the conference of Astronomy and Civilization in Budapest (Aug. 2009). Special appreciation is due to Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka—President of The World Phenomenology Institute—for permission to reprint this chapter in the forthcoming volume Origins: Genesis, Evolution and Diversity of Life (2nd Edition) Springer 2011.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 113, 220 Mevo Hadas, Efrat, 90435, Israel

    Joseph Seckbach

  2. The Abdus Salam ICTP, Strada Costiera 11, 34151, Trieste, Italy

    Julian Chela-Flores

  3. Instituto de Estudios Avanzados, IDEA, Caracas, 1015A, República Bolivariana de Venezuela

    Julian Chela-Flores

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  1. Joseph Seckbach
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  2. Julian Chela-Flores
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Correspondence to Joseph Seckbach .

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  1. University of Jerusalem, Mevo Hadas 20, Efrat, 90435, Israel

    Joseph Seckbach

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Seckbach, J., Chela-Flores, J. (2012). Habitable Environments by Extremophiles on Earth, the Solar System, and Elsewhere. In: Seckbach, J. (eds) Genesis - In The Beginning. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology, vol 22. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2941-4_43

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