LIMITS
OF LIFE
Humans
normally live in fairly comfortable environments,
above sea level in fresh air. But thanks
to a mutation of a gene that protects against hypoxia,
or lack of oxygen, Tibetans can survive on the
Tibetan plateau, which at 4500m is one of the highest
altitudes still inhabited by humans. However,
humans
are outdone by bacteria in black smokers (a type
of underwater volcano), which need no oxygen at
all. They live on hydrogen sulphide, an acid that turns
our brain into juice in minutes. The existence Of
life so far removed from earth's atmosphere has led
scientists to speculate that life may have started in
such deep sea vaults.
Source: i__science_-_issue_30_spring_2015
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