Scientists Find The First Animal That Doesn't Need Oxygen to Survive


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Some facts about the Universe and our experience in it seem irreversible. The sky is up. Gravity sucks. Nothing can travel faster than light. Multicellular life needs oxygen to survive. Except we might just need to rethink that last one.

In the beginning of this year, researchers discovered that a jellyfish-like parasite doesn't possess a mitochondrial genome - the first multicellular organism known to not having this. That means it doesn't breathe; actually, it lives its life completely free of oxygen dependence.

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This discovery isn't just altering our understanding of how work here on Earth - it could also have implications for the search for alien life.

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Life started to develop the capability to metabolise oxygen – i.e. respirate - about 1.45 billion years ago. A larger archaeon consumed a smaller bacterium, and one way or another, bacterium's new home was favorable to both parties, and the two remained together.


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