This on-line news article reveals the defense strategy of radiation-resistant Deinococcus radiodurans to be a tightly packed ring of DNA. The article explores the hypothesis of some that indicates the microbe originated on Mars and describes the actions of others that used experiments to show resistance is not attributed to repair enzymes, as was once believed. The article details the implications of these findings and concludes with future studies regarding the organism.
Subject: Biology:Ecology:Metabolism, Symbiotic Relations:Mutualism, Biology:Biogeochemistry, Evolution:Patterns, Biology:Astrobiology, Microbiology Resource Type: Scientific Resources:Overview/Reference Work Grade Level: General Public, College Upper (15-16), College Lower (13-14), High School (9-12) Extreme Environments: Extremely Cold Theme: Teach the Earth:Course Topics:Biogeoscience
