A mosquito, whose larvae develops in humid environment, survived even under extreme temperatures and vacuum of the outer space, an indication that germination of life may also be possible from 'seeds' from other planets.
African bloodworm mosquito, whose larvae develop only in a humid environment, survived even after spending 18 months in the extreme temperatures and vacuum of the outer space in an experiment conducted.
The trial was jointly conducted by the Russian and Japanese scientists and further studies could substantiate the theory of germination of life on our planet from 'seeds' from other planets.
In the summer of 2007, Russian cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov placed a grey cylinder with 24 cups containing bloodworm mosquito's larvae, barley seeds, bacteria and other biological objects, on the outer surface of International Space Station (ISS).
18 months later, cosmonauts Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko removed the cylinder and brought it to Earth. "We brought it back to earth. It is alive, and its feet are moving," Anatoly Grigoriev, vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
The mosquito did not get any food and was subjected to extreme temperatures ranging from minus 150 degree Celsius in the shade to plus 600 degree in the sunlight. Under the 'Biorisk' experiment the scientists from the Russian Science Academy's Institute of Medical and Biological Problems are assessing the impact of cosmic radiation on living organisms.
The unique Biorisk experiment made it possible to study the impact of vacuum, subzero and hot temperatures and radiation on biological objects and inferences drawn from it could prove the 'panspermia' hypothesis that "seeds" of life already exist all over the Universe and that life on earth may have originated through these "seeds".
First, they studied bacteria and fungi till a Japanese scientist suggested studying mosquitoes. "Professor Takashi Okuda from the National Institute of Agro-Biological Science drew our attention to the unique, although short-lived, African mosquito (bloodworm), whose larvae develop only in a humid environment," Grigoriev said.
Rains are rare in Africa, where puddles dry up almost instantly. However, this mosquito is well-adapted to adverse local conditions, existing in a state of suspended animation when vital bodily functions stop almost completely.
When suspended animation sets in, water molecules are replaced by tricallosa sugar, which leads to natural crystallisation. During experiments on the earth the larvae were sprayed with acetone, boiled and cooled down to minus 210 degrees Celsius, the temperature of liquid nitrogen.
Amazingly, they survived all these hardships. The Japanese scientists also studied bloodworm mosquito's DNA and found that it could be switched on and deactivated in 30 to 40 minutes. "This is facilitated by the crystallisation of biological matter," Vladimir Sychev of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems says.
According to him scientists were interested in this mechanism, which makes it possible to assess the potential of living organisms subjected to multiple strains in outer space.
African bloodworm mosquito, whose larvae develop only in a humid environment, survived even after spending 18 months in the extreme temperatures and vacuum of the outer space in an experiment conducted.
The trial was jointly conducted by the Russian and Japanese scientists and further studies could substantiate the theory of germination of life on our planet from 'seeds' from other planets.
In the summer of 2007, Russian cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov placed a grey cylinder with 24 cups containing bloodworm mosquito's larvae, barley seeds, bacteria and other biological objects, on the outer surface of International Space Station (ISS).
18 months later, cosmonauts Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko removed the cylinder and brought it to Earth. "We brought it back to earth. It is alive, and its feet are moving," Anatoly Grigoriev, vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
The mosquito did not get any food and was subjected to extreme temperatures ranging from minus 150 degree Celsius in the shade to plus 600 degree in the sunlight. Under the 'Biorisk' experiment the scientists from the Russian Science Academy's Institute of Medical and Biological Problems are assessing the impact of cosmic radiation on living organisms.
The unique Biorisk experiment made it possible to study the impact of vacuum, subzero and hot temperatures and radiation on biological objects and inferences drawn from it could prove the 'panspermia' hypothesis that "seeds" of life already exist all over the Universe and that life on earth may have originated through these "seeds".
First, they studied bacteria and fungi till a Japanese scientist suggested studying mosquitoes. "Professor Takashi Okuda from the National Institute of Agro-Biological Science drew our attention to the unique, although short-lived, African mosquito (bloodworm), whose larvae develop only in a humid environment," Grigoriev said.
Rains are rare in Africa, where puddles dry up almost instantly. However, this mosquito is well-adapted to adverse local conditions, existing in a state of suspended animation when vital bodily functions stop almost completely.
When suspended animation sets in, water molecules are replaced by tricallosa sugar, which leads to natural crystallisation. During experiments on the earth the larvae were sprayed with acetone, boiled and cooled down to minus 210 degrees Celsius, the temperature of liquid nitrogen.
Amazingly, they survived all these hardships. The Japanese scientists also studied bloodworm mosquito's DNA and found that it could be switched on and deactivated in 30 to 40 minutes. "This is facilitated by the crystallisation of biological matter," Vladimir Sychev of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems says.
According to him scientists were interested in this mechanism, which makes it possible to assess the potential of living organisms subjected to multiple strains in outer space.
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