+- Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum (https://www.scivillage.com)
+-- Forum: Science (https://www.scivillage.com/forum-61.html)
+--- Forum: Biochemistry, Biology & Virology (https://www.scivillage.com/forum-76.html)
+--- Thread: Fungi Powered by Nuclear Radiation (/thread-4383.html)
Fungi Powered by Nuclear Radiation - Yazata - Oct 23, 2017
Fungi were discovered growing luxuriantly on the inside the still deadly-radioactive Chernobyl nuclear reactor that appear to use melanin (the same pigment that makes human skin dark) to convert gamma and other ionizing radiation into chemical energy in much the way that plants use chlorophyll to turn light radiation into chemical energy. Reportedly these fungi have been observed happily growing on the International Space Station too. The details of the chemical pathways that do this is still kind of mysterious and needs more research.
The biologists call this radiotrophism. (Photosynthetic plants practice phototrophism.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiotrophic_fungus
https://earthlingnature.wordpress.com/2016/01/17/the-blacker-the-better-especially-in-chernobyl/
RE: Fungi Powered by Nuclear Radiation - C C - Oct 24, 2017
Definitely one item to keep away contamination-wise from Mars.
- - -