Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents and Mono Lake

Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents

Underwater geothermal springs that release hot, mineral-rich water

Sulphur oxidation

Process of converting sulfur and oxygen into sulfur trioxide

Methanogenesis

Process of producing methane using hydrogen and carbon dioxide

Metabolic ability

Capability of an organism to perform chemical reactions and processes

Primitive symbiosis

Early form of symbiotic relationship between organisms

Hydrothermal Symbionts

Organisms that form symbiotic relationships in hydrothermal environments

Denitrification

Process of converting nitrates into nitrogen gas

Mono Lake

Alkaline and hypersaline lake in California

Photosynthetic Arsenic metabolism

Metabolic process in which organisms use arsenic for photosynthesis

Fundamental requirements for life

Necessary conditions for life: liquid water, organic compounds, and an energy source

Extreme environments

Settings with extreme conditions that are inhospitable to humans

Microbial life

Life forms that are microscopic in size

Niches

Specific habitats or ecological roles that organisms occupy

Heat vents

Openings in the Earth's surface that release hot water and gases

Chemical evolution

Process of chemical changes over time that lead to the origin of life