The Search for a Model Organism for Panspermia: Examining the Effects of Vacuum and Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure on Differently Encysted Artemia Embryos

Date

2015

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

College of Natural and Health Sciences, The University of Tampa

Abstract

Panspermia, or the idea that sources of life are distributed throughout the Universe via transportational units such as meteoroids, has become a tantalizing possibility throughout the realm of astrobiology. In this experiment, Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp a.k.a. Sea Monkey) embryos under different encystment states (dehydrated, hydrated-capsulated, and hydrated-decapsulated) were exposed to extreme vacuum and ultraviolet radiation conditions similar to those found in space in order to determine whether or not they could be a prototypical organism for this theory. Quantitative analyses were done by calculating Artemia hatch rates for umbrella, naupliar, and both umbrella & naupliar stages following treatments. Although hatch rates varied, exposure to these extreme space-like conditions did not completely impede the viability of the encysted Artemia studied. This suggests that encysted Artemia franciscana may be a model organism supporting the theory of panspermia, although the effects of encystment state during exposure to other space-like conditions besides extreme vacuum and UV radiation warrants further investigation.

Description

Recommended Citation: Speight, Corinne. “The Search for a Model Organism for Panspermia: Examining the Effects of Vacuum and Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure on Differently Encysted Artemia Embryos.” Acta Spartae, 2015. https://doi.org/10.48497/EPNP-6466.

Keywords

Department of Biology, Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, Panspermia, Ultraviolet radiation, Artemia, Research Subject Categories::NATURAL SCIENCES, Research Subject Categories::NATURAL SCIENCES::Biology, Research Subject Categories::NATURAL SCIENCES::Chemistry

Citation

Speight, Corinne. “The Search for a Model Organism for Panspermia: Examining the Effects of Vacuum and Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure on Differently Encysted Artemia Embryos.” Acta Spartae, 2015. https://doi.org/10.48497/EPNP-6466.