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I want to tell you about a life form. A type of life from Earth, where you and I are sitting. That is unless my words are fortunate enough to have made it elsewhere, in which case, you have my salutations and heart felt good will. However, back to the story at hand there is this life form, a type of life, unique in its own existence. It has DNA, chemical metabolism, it has an energy source and a method of producing waste and bi-products. This organism was so fortunate that in its time, the Earth provided everything it needed, the surrounding environment was rich with all the things it needed to survive and there was plenty of space. It didn't take too long, in the grand scheme of life on Earth, for this creature to dominate the globe, finding itself able to exist almost anywhere. It did this through the miraculous process of effective evolution. Out of all the possible combinations of DNA which could occur at random, one which is useful is truly against all odds, this one form of life had adapted slightly in just the right ways to find itself at home in all kinds of conditions.
Soon though, it began to use up all of its nutrients and they weren't being replenished quickly enough. It also came to pass that the waste products were poisonous and although at first it appeared there was plenty of space for it, now it was everywhere. Soon it became impossible to live without getting coated in filth and the food was harder to find. The vital ingredients for survival were depleted and the environment became so toxic that one day it reached a tipping point. The majority of all life on the planet died. It wasn't gradual, more like an apocalyptic tragedy. Over the course of a handful of years, the fertile and abundant planet Earth became a toxic mire. Their bi-products formed a layer of chemical deposits all around the globe, an eternal reminder of what had occurred.
Soon though, it began to use up all of its nutrients and they weren't being replenished quickly enough. It also came to pass that the waste products were poisonous and although at first it appeared there was plenty of space for it, now it was everywhere. Soon it became impossible to live without getting coated in filth and the food was harder to find. The vital ingredients for survival were depleted and the environment became so toxic that one day it reached a tipping point. The majority of all life on the planet died. It wasn't gradual, more like an apocalyptic tragedy. Over the course of a handful of years, the fertile and abundant planet Earth became a toxic mire. Their bi-products formed a layer of chemical deposits all around the globe, an eternal reminder of what had occurred.
However, due to the miraculous process of effective evolution, something survived. Life forms which were so different and unique came into being that they could digest this toxic waste and make use of the bi-products to survive. Soon, they began to multiply and with this new found chemistry and biology, were thriving on the remnants of the previous era.
You may be wondering what this life form is, what creature was responsible for this disaster? The answer is cyanobacteria, or 'blue-green algae' as it is sometimes known. This microbial cell was one of the first organisms to break free from the primordial soup that festered for millennia within the thick oceanic waters. You can still find them today, living in some of the most inhospitable places known to us. Their world was a toxic one, by our standards. The origins of our environment are harsh and hazardous to most of modern life. Thanks to these small and simple creatures, we have an oxygen rich atmosphere to breath and a layer of haematite in the ground to enjoy. That's the bi-product.
Rowan Blair Colver
You may be wondering what this life form is, what creature was responsible for this disaster? The answer is cyanobacteria, or 'blue-green algae' as it is sometimes known. This microbial cell was one of the first organisms to break free from the primordial soup that festered for millennia within the thick oceanic waters. You can still find them today, living in some of the most inhospitable places known to us. Their world was a toxic one, by our standards. The origins of our environment are harsh and hazardous to most of modern life. Thanks to these small and simple creatures, we have an oxygen rich atmosphere to breath and a layer of haematite in the ground to enjoy. That's the bi-product.
Rowan Blair Colver
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