Is There Life On Mars?

Is There Life On Mars? In order to conclude whether a life-form can exist on Mars, much research must be done in order to gain an understanding of its atmosphere, surface, nutrients and minerals available to possible biological life-forms on the planet. Mars is the fourth planet in our Solar System and is known as the Red Planet due to iron oxide found on the surface. Having been studied for decades, Mars shows the most suitable conditions, of all the planets in our solar system, for our presumptions of evolution of life (Klein, Lederburg et al. 1976). There has been much evidence put forward contributing to the theory of a biological life-form on Mars, the most documented and well known of which being the study of the meteorite ALH 84001. This meteorite was believed to have been projected from the surface of Mars around 16 million years ago and landed in Antarctica 13,000 years ago(Frankel Buseck, 2000). The 2kg carbonaceous meteorite studied by McKay et al. contained globules of chemicals and also conta ined bacterial-shaped objects which resembled fossilized terrestrial microorganisms, ranging from 10-100nm long (McKay, et al., 1996). It is believed by many that there are too many factors such as UV radiation and extreme temperature environments which could inhibit a life-form on Mars. Although the distance from Earth to the Sun is considerably less than that of the Sun to Mars, our atmosphere protects living organisms on Earth. Studies have shown that an atmosphere is present on Mars through the identification of an insignificant ozone layer, however this atmosphere is not the most suitable for living organisms but unlikely to be a life limiting factor (Cockell, et al., 2000). Some arguments which both oppose and agree with the theory of extra-terrestrial life include studies carried out by the Viking Explorers and MER programmes which landed on Mars. These man-made devices studied the atmosphere and the top layer of soil to discover a very high oxidation factor which could inhibit growth by converting living matter to CO ², as well as studying sedimentary rocks on the surface of the planet. The search for life on Mars shows interesting differences in both personal theories and scientific studies. Panspermia is the theory that living organisms can be transported throughout the Universe, travelling in meteorites. The theory was first proposed by Arrhenius who believed that living bacteria could be transported through space, and therefore believed this was the reason for the beginning of life on Earth (Tepfer, 2008). These meteorites are projected from the surface of plates through collisions of boulders and/or planets in the Solar System. Many meteorites have landed on Earth from Mars, including ALH 84001, NWA 1195, NWA 2046, DaG 476 and the latest NWA 2626. The most famous of these meteorites is ALH 84001 which shows evidence of a life-form embedded in the meteorite. The theory of Panspermia can be justified by a study carried out by D.Stà ¶ffler et al.. The range of pressures observed in Martian meteorites range between 5 and 50 GPa. Bacterial spores, cyanobacteria and lichens (all of which appear to be embedded in the meteorite ALH 84001), were exposed to this range of shoc k pressure. The study revealed that bacterial spores and lichens could withstand the pressure up to 45 GPa while cyanobacteria was killed at 10 GPa. This study implies the potential for transfer of life throughout the Universe from one planet to another(Stà ¶ffler, et al., 2007). Analyses and Results of the Martian Meteorite ALH84001 Analysis of the meteorite show results which support and oppose the hypothesis of extra-terrestrial life to be found on Mars (Gibson, et al., 2001). The meteorite, which was studied by McKay et al, showed evidence of an extra-terrestrial life-form embedded in the rock. There were globules of Ca, Mg and Fe carbonate minerals which are believed to have been distributed by a biological factor. It is believed by McKay et al. that these globules were formed at low temperature. Otherwise high temperature (over 118 °C) would have killed any bacteria which are believed to have formed these globules. However, others who oppose the theory of extra-terrestrial life, believe that these globules may have been distributed by a non-biological factor which renders this piece of evidence quite unreliable. There were other factors noted which shows the possibility of extra-terrestrial life: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were observed and showed a different distribution than that of terrestr ial PAHs. Another factor observed was bacteria-shaped objects found on the surface of the meteorite, which resemble fossilized terrestrial micro-organisms, up to 100 µm long (Frankel Buseck, 2000). Some of the bacteria shaped objects are however extremely small in size which range from 20-100nm. This piece of evidence is ridiculed by some scientists, in which they declare that these tiny objects resemble artifacts in the meteorite (Bradley, et al., 1996). http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpi/meteorites/s9612609.gif Bacteria shaped objects on Martian meteorite, Allan H. Treiman, Lunar and Planetary Institute. The Viking and MER Missions The first Viking mission was launched in the summer of 1976. It consisted of two orbiters, which had a main objective of photographing the planet from orbit, and two landers, which studied the surface of the planet. The main emphasis was on photography, in which orbiter 1 produced over 10,000 pictures, taken from the planets orbit(Snyder Evans, 1981). In 2003, two rovers were launched, called Mars Exploration Rovers. The objective of this mission to Mars was study and to determine whether Martian conditions and its atmosphere could support the theory of a possible life-form having ever existed on the planet (Squyres Knoll, 2005). The MER missions include the Rovers; Spirit and Opportunity which carried out surveys and analyses on the surface of Mars. File:NASA Mars Rover.jpg Rover Opportunity, Maas Digital LLC for Cornell University and NASA/JPL The two Rovers covered specific regions known as Gusev and Meridiani Planum respectively for over a year and a half. The Rover Opportunity landed on the surface of Mars on January 24th and travelled through two craters (Eagle and Endurance) while carrying out experiments on both craters. Experiments and Results from Viking and MER programmes Aerosols and water vapour were detected in the Martian atmosphere by the Viking orbiter and other scientific research objects, which included: Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Mars Atmospheric Water Detector (MAWD) and Thermal Emissions Spectrometer (TES). This water vapour was detected in the North Polar region during Spring and Summer seasons. MAWD detected twice as much vapour in the region than any of the other orbiters (Pankine, et al., 2009). The detection of water in the Martian atmosphere contributes a large amount of evidence to support the theory of a suitable atmosphere for a biological life-form to exist. Hematite was discovered on the surface of the planet, by the rover Opportunity, in the Meridiani Planum. This mineral form of iron-oxide is a possible preservative for pre-biotic and biotic processes carried out on the surface of Mars. These processes are carried out on Earth in rock varnishing, in which micro-colonial fungi and bacteria are present in rock varnish matrices, which were documented in America and Australia (Allen, et al., 2004). It is believed that water did once flow on the surface of Mars through the discovery of rippled like curves, indicating that streams once flowed through the Meridiani Planum (Horneck). Ancient, sedimentary rocks were also found at Meridiani plain by the Rover Opportunity, which consist of sandstone composed of sand grains which consisted of a variety of sulphate salts formed by erosion and re-deposition (Squyres Knoll, 2005). One of the most important findings of the mission however was a record of aqueous processes found on the Meridiani plain both in surface and sub-surface regions. Although these aqueous processes were identified, there is still no record of liquid water on the surface of Mars. Any water present on Mars, is found in the atmosphere as water vapour, located at the north Polar region. UV Radiation: Because of a thin atmosphere and an insignificant ozone layer, the surface of Mars is exposed to high UV radiation, which includes UVA, UVB and UVC. UV radiation is known to be a cause of DNA damage and mutation in bacterial species and also more developed life-forms. UV radiation is also known to inhibit photosynthesis in plants. Life-forms on Earth contain processes that protect them from exposure to UVA radiation. However, because of high UVB and UVC radiation exposure to the Martian surface, and also conditions such as extreme temperature changes and a lack of liquid water on the surface, it is unknown for any life-form to withstand such conditions(Cockell, et al., 2000). In order to understand and examine bacterial behaviour under exposure to this high UV radiation, an experiment was carried out by Scheurger et al.. Seven different Bacillus spp. were exposed to conditions similar to that of the Martian surface. The Bacillus spp. were exposed to the radiation in time sets of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 5, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 180 minutes. The bacteria were prepared for the experiment as thin monolayers of endospores. The results showed that B. pumilus SAFR-032 (surviving for 180 minutes) was the most resistant to the Martian conditions, while B. megaterium and B. subtillis 42HS-1 (which were inactivated after 30 minutes) were the least sensitive under exposure of high UVB and UVC radiation. Conclusion It is very difficult to conclude whether or not life does or even did exist on the surface or in the Martian atmosphere. Evidence from both sides of the theory are being analysed in extreme detail in order to come to a conclusion. The analyses and study of the Martian meteorite ALH84001, is considered the most studied and detailed analyses ever to be carried out on an igneous rock. Even with this extent of analyses being carried out on the meteorite, we still cannot come to a clear and concise conclusion to whether or not it contained traces of extra-terrestrial life. Although the detection of carbonate globules and bacterial shaped objects suggests that life theoretically could have existed on the planet of Mars, scientists who oppose the theory of extra-terrestrial life disagree that these discoveries indicate a life-form present in the meteorite. They suggest that because of the small size of these bacterial-shaped objects that they could represent artifacts in the meteorite. There was also some criticism about the Viking and MER missions. Although a small amount of atmospheric water vapour was observed, the lack of liquid water on the surface declares this evidence inconclusive. However there was some very interesting discoveries made by the Rover Opportunity, including the detection of hematite. This mineralised form of iron-oxide can be used for the preservation of aqueous processes. This discovery, along with the discovery of ripple-like curves in the Meridiani plain, could indicate a past life-form having existed on the surface of the planet many years ago. I believe that an extra-terrestrial, biological life-form could have existed on the surface of Mars, in past decades or even centuries. Evidence from both the Mars Exploration missions and the study of the Martian meteorite, ALH84001, provide much contribution to the theory that life did exist on the planet in the past. It is clear that life cannot survive in the Martian atmosphere at present because of extreme conditions. The exposure to high UV radiation, extreme temperature changes and also a lack of liquid water on the surface indicate to me that these conditions are not only unfavourable to the survival of a life-form but are far too extreme for a biological life-form to survive for a significant time frame. In relation to the theory of Panspermia, I believe that it can be justified by the experiment carried out by D.Stà ¶ffler et al.. If the bacteria shaped objects found in the meteorite prove to be biological life-forms this piece of evidence could explain another widely investigated theory of where and when life began on Earth. Through the study and analyses of Mars and its atmosphere, I believe that many of the questions and theories about life on Earth can be answered.

Meniscal Injuries :: essays research papers

The meniscus is one of the most commonly injured structures in the knee. Meniscal injuries can occur in any age group, but causes are somewhat different for each age group. In younger people, the meniscus is fairly tough and rubbery, and tears usually occur as a result of a fairly forceful twisting injury. In the younger age group, meniscal tears are more likely to be caused by athletic activity (Sutton, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In older people, the meniscus grows weaker with age. The tissue that makes up the meniscus becomes degenerative and much easier to tear. Meniscal injuries in older people occur as a result of a fairly minor injury, even from the up and down motion of squatting. Degenerative tears of the meniscus are commonly seen as a part of the overall condition of osteoarthritis of the knee in the older population. In many cases, there is no one associated injury to the knee that leads to meniscal tears (Sutton, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to understand how the menisci can be injured, you must understand the basic anatomy of the menisci and why they are important. The menisci are two oval (semilunar) fibrocartilages that deepen the articular facets of the tibia and cushion any stresses placed on the knee joint. They enhance the total stability of the knee, assist in the control of normal knee motion, and provide shock absorption against compression forces between the tibia and the femur (Booher, 2000). Articular cartilage covers the ends of the bones that make up the joint. The articular cartilage surface is a tough, very slick material that allows the surfaces to slide against one another without damage to either surface. This ability of the meniscus to spread out the force on the joint surfaces as we walk is important because it protects the articular cartilage from excessive forces occurring in any one area on the joint surface, leading to degeneration over time (Sutton, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blood is supplied to each meniscus by the medial genicular artery. Each meniscus can be divided into three circumferential zones: the red-red zone is the outer or peripheral one third and has a good vascular supply; the red-white zone is the middle one third and has a minimal blood supply; and the white-white zone on the inner one third is avascular (Arnheim,1997).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The medial meniscus is larger and more oval or C-shaped in the outline than the lateral meniscus. The medial cartilage is also more firmly fixed to the tibia and the capsule than the lateral meniscus; as a result, it is much more frequently injured than the lateral cartilage.

Who Won the Civil War: North or South

For the south it was nearly impossible to win the war . The north had many advantageson the south, which created a large difference in the outcome of the Civil War. The North had a bigger population, better leadership, and Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was a leader of the union, and led them to many great victories with his decision making on generals to lead the Union. The north had many plans to shut down the south, though they often took longer than what was expected of them, so many of them were stopped by generals or were figured out by the south.The south came out fighting Fort Sumpter and Bull Run. The advantages that the south had was that all of the battles were in the south and numbers of people who actually wanted to fight for the south was much higher than the soldiers of the north. The south was fighting to keep their way of life, slavery. The north wanted a new constitution and to obliterate the confederacy. Most of the time the north had better in terms of generals, but not always. The north had good generals, but they also had bad ones.The bad ones were either too scared to fight, or didn't fight fast enough. Ulysses S. Grant was the general that gave the Union the greatest victories. He fought long and hard. He would do anything he possible could to win. The South had a very slim chance to win with this man in charge. The north had more victories and advantages in the war than the south. The durastic effects the south underwent caused them to crumble. Some people say the north won, and some say the south won. The north did everything possible to win the war, and the south could never get anything out of it.

Adult / Teacher Interaction A Male And His Date Of Birth

) Adult/Teacher Interaction: †¢ Kenta is a male and his date of birth is on 4/2/2011 and he is four years old and five months. A teacher engaged in guided participation when she saw Kenta running on the walking ramp of the room and he get into trouble. She approaches him and tells him that she doesn’t want to see him get hurt or hurt his head, he agrees to what she said and she thanks him. I understand this because children learn society’s values and practices by participating in family, school and community activities. When adults or older children praise, shame, or laugh about a child’s behavior, they are guiding participation by providing a frame of how to behave and how not to behave (Steinberg, Bornstein, Vandell, Rook, 207). 8) Physical Development: †¢ Eric is a male and his date of birth is on 3/12/2011, at the time of the child observation he was four years old and six months. Eric demonstrated small muscle skills by being peaceful and playing with bricks and sticks, which he used his hands and fingers to build a fort. He showed large muscle skills after he left the building group and goes to his designated locker to get some papers. He then goes to the arts and crafts group. He moved his body and to another place and is using his arms to cut and glue paper. Kenta is a male and his date of birth is 4/2/2011 so he is four years old and six months. Kenta definitely demonstrated large muscle skills by always roaming around and moving his whole body. He doesn’t lookShow MoreRelatedField Study Episode 39378 Words   |  38 PagesEpisode 3 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND LEARNING Name of FS Student: Shiena Mae T. 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