Jessica Le

Mr. Mantoani
HSB 1- Period 1
2 November 2020
New Frontiers in Microbiology
Astrobiology is a scientific field that involves origins, early evolution, distribution, and future of
the universe. When studying astrobiology, people began questioning if life was possible even if the
conditions in the location were very extreme. They were able to study this through “terrestrial analog
sites” which are locations on our planet, Earth, that had similar conditions of those on other planets. This
was done to determine if life was possible on other planets, which allowed them to have different
perspectives on residence of life.
An example and main key that ties back to astrobiology is how life originated on Earth and what
were the components that made it. Many believe that deep-sea vents are where life first originated from as
many compounds could be synthesized at the bottom of the ocean. Understanding life on other planets
played a significant role in microbiology because it allowed for scientists to have a better understanding
on how microbes can grow in space. On many space missions, they bring back samples to determine if
organic molecules exist there to continue on their research. Asides from giving them a better
understanding, research of life on other planets is important if resources become unavailable. These
planets and asteroids provide a large amount of resources in exchange.