Deeper Science of Green Slime

An anonymous reader writes: "As the source of all breathable air, and often-cited as the oldest fossils (3.5 billion years, Western Australia), cyanobacteria or green slime is discussed today in NASA's Astrobiology Magazine. The fascinating parts are the two survival paths that make cyanobacteria ductile, but not fragile (relatively unchanged since the beginning of life on Earth): sharing genes (lateral transfer) to get new capabilities for photosynthesis, and absorbing other cells by engulfment. It is the evolution by engulfment that seems so amazing as a means of species survival, since it is the opposite of parasitism."

Comments

Green slime is for beginners.

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I was always worried more about the Gelatinous Cubes, oh yeah, and the Grey Ooze...