Endolith

For the dental term, see Pulp stone.
Endolith lifeform found inside an Antarctic rock

An endolith or endolithic is an organism (archaeon, bacterium, fungus, lichen, algae or amoeba) that is able to acquire the necessary resources for growth in the inner part of a rock,[1] mineral, coral, animal shells, or in the pores between mineral grains of a rock. Many are extremophiles, living in places long considered inhospitable to life. The distribution, biomass, and diversity of endolith microorganisms are determined by the physical and chemical properties of the rock substrate, including the mineral composition, permeability, the presence of organic compounds, the structure and distribution of pores, water retention capacity, and the pH.[2] Normally, the endoliths colonize the areas within lithic substrates to withstand intense solar radiation, temperature fluctuations, wind, and desiccation.[3] They are of particular interest to astrobiologists, who theorize that endolithic environments on Mars and other planets constitute potential refugia for extraterrestrial microbial communities.[4][5]

  1. ^ Omelon, C.R. (2016). "Endolithic Microorganisms and Their Habitats". In Hurst, C.J. (ed.). Their World: A Diversity of Microbial Environments. Advances in environmental microbiology, vol. 1. Cincinnati, USA: Springer. pp. 171–201. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28071-4_4.
  2. ^
    • Cockell, C. S.; Olsson, K.; Knowles, F.; Kelly, L.; Herrera, A.; Thorsteinsson, T.; Marteinsson, V. (2009). "Bacteria in weathered basaltic glass, Iceland". Geomicrobiology Journal. 26 (7): 491–507. doi:10.1080/01490450903061101. S2CID 131694781.
    • Herrera, A.; Cockell, C. S.; Self, S.; Blaxter, M.; Reitner, J.; Thorsteinsson, T.; Tindle, A. G. (2009). "A cryptoendolithic community in volcanic glass". Astrobiology. 9 (4): 369–381. Bibcode:2009AsBio...9..369H. doi:10.1089/ast.2008.0278. PMID 19519213.
    • Kelly, L. C.; Cockell, C. S.; Herrera-Belaroussi, A.; Piceno, Y.; Andersen, G.; DeSantis, T.; LeRoux, X. (2011). "Bacterial diversity of terrestrial crystalline volcanic rocks, Iceland". Microbial Ecology. 62 (1): 69–79. doi:10.1007/s00248-011-9864-1. PMID 21584756. S2CID 23356098.
    • Omelon, C. R.; Pollard, W. H.; Ferris, F. G. (2007). "Inorganic species distribution and microbial diversity within high Arctic cryptoendolithic habitats". Microbial Ecology. 54 (4): 740–752. doi:10.1007/s00248-007-9235-0. PMID 17457639. S2CID 19843927.
  3. ^ Walker, J. J.; Pace, N. R. (2007). "Endolithic microbial ecosystems". Annual Review of Microbiology. 61: 331–347. doi:10.1146/annurev.micro.61.080706.093302. PMID 17506683.
  4. ^ Wierzchos, J.; Camara, B.; De Los Rios, A.; Davila, A. F.; Sanchaz Almazo, M.; Artieda, O.; Wierzchos, K.; Gomez-Silva, B.; McKay, C.; Ascaso, C. (2011). "Microbial colonization of Ca-sulfate crusts in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert: Implications for the search for life on Mars". Geobiology. 9 (1): 44–60. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4669.2010.00254.x. PMID 20726901. S2CID 9458330.
  5. ^ Chang, Kenneth (12 September 2016). "Visions of Life on Mars in Earth's Depths". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 September 2016.