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Is most life on earth solar powered?

But, not all of it? Nope. In the late 1970s, scientists studying the seafloor discovered geysers belching a boiling mineral-rich stew into the crushing depths of the ocean. These ‘’hydrothermal vents’’ didn’t just look like they were from outer space – they were actually teeming with alien life. Here, in the constant darkness, bacteria convert chemicals into sugars in a process called chemosynthesis. Shrimp, crabs, and eyeless tube worms survive by feeding on these bacteria, creating a food chain completely independent of the sun. Astrobiologist– scientists who study the possibility of life on other planets – examine the vents for examples of life that might exist on planets far from the sun. In fact, they wonder if life on Earth began near these geysers rather than on the surface.

 

Picture Credit : Google

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