Life beyond Earth
Q1.Life can be defined as many things depending on what angle one chooses to look at it. As such, life can be defined as the process by which matter portrays attributes of responsiveness, growth, metabolism, reproduction and energy transformation. However, this definition can also be disputed as are many definitions that scientists and linguists have sort to come up with. The controversy is that there is a high possibility that life extends further from the earth’s biosphere into other planets and galaxies.
Q2. I believe that the boundary that exists between the living and non-living things comes up where it can be witnessed that non-living things can exist in uninhabitable conditions, on other planets and moons, unlike living things that require certain conditions to continue being in existence (NPR, 2011).
Q3. Theorists suggest seven different sparks of life-extending from the theories of evolution, the big bang theory to creation by God. However, the only one that has provided different forms of proof is Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution that was further researched and proved by Louis and Mary Leakey.
Q4. Self-replicating organisms such as viruses and prions already existed. However, viruses particularly would come to be discovered and named in 1892 by Dmitri Ivanovsky and Martinus Beijerinck. Beijerinck gave them the name virus in 1898. On the other hand, prions were discovered in 1989 as to possibly proceed from the ancient ZIP protein family (University of Toronto, 2020).
Q5. Humans are currently focused on looking at the possibility of life on Mars since other planets within our solar system have proven to be virtually inhabitable.
Q6. Detecting life on other planets would require scientists to identify certain chemical compounds that are important to life, such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur and hydrogen (Seager, n.d.).
Q7.Life has changes planet earth through the addition of land surface to continents, redirecting of rivers, linking of oceans, and modifying the chemical makeup of the atmosphere.
Q8.Living organisms regulate the temperature of the planet by contributing to the makeup of the biosphere. Humans create a water cycle between the soil, air and oceans through inhaling and exhaling, which cool or raise the temperature of the earth’s surface.
Reference
NPR. (2011, April 1). The high probability of finding ‘Life beyond earth’. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2011/04/04/135040012/the-high-probability-of-finding-life-beyond-earth
Seager, S. (n.d.). Is there life on other planets? – Exoplanet exploration: Planets beyond our solar system. Retrieved from https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/faq/5/is-there-life-on-other-planets/
University of Toronto. (2020, September 29). Evolutionary origins of prion disease gene uncovered. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928131210.htm
