Is there a place where there is no life form on Earth?

ByRoyce Bair

Some living things live in places where human beings can not live, such as the burning earth and the extremely cold mountains. But what if the harsh environment that any living beings are allowed to live is left on the earth?

BBC - Future - The last place on Earth ... without life
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140303-last-place-on-earth-without-life

◆Desert


ChileanAtacama DesertIt has not been raining for 50 years. It seems that there are no life forms that can survive under such harsh conditions, but microorganisms called endolith are inhabited. Endolith lives on a cracked ground and a small moisture in a small hole in the rock.

◆Antarctica


The Don Huang pond in the last continent / Antarctic undeveloped by humankind is known as the lake with the highest salinity on Earth and its salinity is 40%, which is surprising. Don Fun Pond, which is not frozen even at 50 ° C below freezing because of its high salt concentration, has not found any living organisms that do live life activities, but the fact that the microorganisms were active was discovered. Dr. Jill Mikki, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee says, "Ever since the Earth has been covered with glaciers multiple times, even the ice covered lake that human beings can not live with is also a kind of microorganism It seems that it can not be said to be the ultimate environment for us. "

◆Deep sea hot water


In the deep seaHydrothermal ventThere is a place where high temperature hot water of 300 ℃ or more heated by geothermal heat is jetted from the crack called "Black smokerIt is called. Since black smokers contain a large amount of toxic sulfide, it can be said that it is a harsh environment for most living things.

However, even for black smokersTube wormCreatures such as shrimp and clam are inhabited, and complex ecosystems including microorganisms which become food are made.


◆High radiation environment


It is known that wild animals are inhabited even in areas where the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident site is off limits. Moreover, it can survive even in the environment that keeps on radiation in outer spaceMicroorganisms discoveredIt is no wonder that there are living organisms that can survive even in environments contaminated with dangerous radioactivity for human beings.

Even at seemingly harsh environments some living organisms inhabit and the place where there is no life form on Earth is left in extreme environments such as being kept at ultrahigh temperature, high pressure and sterile condition It may be only the laboratory that produces it.