In 1956 a radiation resistant bacteria called Deinococcus Radiodurans (D. Rad) was discovered during the sterilization of packaged food. It has been called “Conan the Bacteria” for its incredible abilities. The bacteria is said to withstand dehydration, radiation, oxidative damage, and dormancy, amongst other life threatening conditions. Some microbiologists have suggested that the bacteria may have hitched a ride on an interplanetary traveler (like a rock or ice) from Mars; this is because the evolutionary model cannot explain its resistance to high amounts of radiation not found on earth. However, the fact that the bacteria possess high levels of enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase and catalase which make it resistant to oxygen toxicity, precludes the possibility of it being extraterrestrial, or more specifically from Mars, as it has been suggested. Another problem is that the bacteria cannot withstand the rigors of interplanetary travel. The bacteria can be inactivated by 45 degrees centigrade, therefore, making it difficult to survive extreme heat conditions as would occur during entry into the earth’s atmosphere (Lottman). The mystery is in discovering the way in which these bacteria could have evolved, yet no known natural conditions could attest for its development. Design or no Design?
In 1956 a radiation resistant bacteria called Deinococcus Radiodurans (D. Rad) was discovered during the sterilization of packaged food. It has been called “Conan the Bacteria” for its incredible abilities. The bacteria is said to withstand dehydration, radiation, oxidative damage, and dormancy, amongst other life threatening conditions. Some microbiologists have suggested that the bacteria may have hitched a ride on an interplanetary traveler (like a rock or ice) from Mars; this is because the evolutionary model cannot explain its resistance to high amounts of radiation not found on earth. However, the fact that the bacteria possess high levels of enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase and catalase which make it resistant to oxygen toxicity, precludes the possibility of it being extraterrestrial, or more specifically from Mars, as it has been suggested. Another problem is that the bacteria cannot withstand the rigors of interplanetary travel. The bacteria can be inactivated by 45 degrees centigrade, therefore, making it difficult to survive extreme heat conditions as would occur during entry into the earth’s atmosphere (Lottman). The mystery is in discovering the way in which these bacteria could have evolved, yet no known natural conditions could attest for its development. Design or no Design?
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Mario A. Lopez
Ciencia Alternativa
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