Mars-like soils in the Atacama Desert, Chile, and the dry limit of microbial life.
Science
; 302(5647): 1018-21, 2003 Nov 07.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-14605363
ABSTRACT
The Viking missions showed the martian soil to be lifeless and depleted in organic material and indicated the presence of one or more reactive oxidants. Here we report the presence of Mars-like soils in the extreme arid region of the Atacama Desert. Samples from this region had organic species only at trace levels and extremely low levels of culturable bacteria. Two samples from the extreme arid region were tested for DNA and none was recovered. Incubation experiments, patterned after the Viking labeled-release experiment but with separate biological and nonbiological isomers, show active decomposition of organic species in these soils by nonbiological processes.
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Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Microbiología del Suelo
/
Bacterias
/
Clima Desértico
País/Región como asunto:
America do sul
/
Chile
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Science
Año:
2003
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
México