Exotic Life ASTRO CAST

In order for people or living things to grow we need certain elements in our system.  One phosphorus atom and four oxygen atoms forming a molecule. ADP cycle within the body which includes phosphate as one of the major constituents of the process. One of the crucial parts of forming the DNA molecule, that twisted helix that defines who each of us are genetically, one of the necesities of forming that molecule is phosphate.This explanation of our body processes is available simply by looking at a periodic table. the first row only has hydrogen and helium, the next row has a limited number of things. It has two things on the left and six things on the right. That pattern of the periodic table is actually built on the pattern of orbiting electrons, so in hydrogen and helium you only have two possibilities of where to place electrons. Then with each successive movement down the list you add more possibilities for these electrons. Each column in the periodic table represents how many gaps are left in the outer-most orbital, the outer-most layer that electrons can live within. So when you’re looking at oxygen, when you’re looking at sulfur and so on. They are trying to see if bacteria can grow and with traces of phosphate and salt. The process in question is their metabolism. Are they using elements in their metabolism to grow or simply just phosphate. There is life that is known to exist that metabolizes phosphate at even lower levels than what existed in this particular salt. One of the things that is on the list of things that scientists are going to be doing next is figuring out how to image the DNA. It is interesting to see if scientist can prove more life in outerspace and too see if anything more complex in form is out there.