Ara Atayan

2/28/15

Biology/ Mrs. McClennan

DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. (2015, February 27). First detailed microscopy evidence of bacteria at the lower size limit of life. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 28, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150227181339.htm  

            This article tells us about the discovery of ultra-small bacteria, which scientist are thinking could be the smallest form of life possible.  This discovery was brought to us by the University of California, Berkeley and the scientists of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.  The ultra-small bacteria are so microscopic that: “more than 150,000 cells could fit onto the tip of a human hair.” The scientists who led this experiment believe this bacteria is not uncommon, because they found them in groundwater. The composition of the cell is made of “densely packed spirals” which are thought to be DNA, a few ribosomes, hair-like appendages, and a stripped down metabolism. These cells are so small that they most likely rely on other bacteria for a suitable life. Scientists discovered they form from three microbial phyla, which are not fully comprehended yet.  Learning more about the cells origins will help us determine their role in ecosystems and life.  The article also tells us about the steps scientists took to test these specimens and some of the technology they use, such as 2-D and 3-D cryogenic transmission electron microscope. In addition, they pointed out how the scientists got other scientists opinions on what the cells could be. 

            This discovery is newsworthy because it may have settled the debate on how small a living organism can be and shows what the scientific limit of life is.  Additionally, it opens doors to further understanding our world.  By knowing life can exist this small we can determine how this microbes affect our climate, food, and water supply. This can help us understand the root of troublesome bacteria and possibly prevent them. Also, this discovery is a great example of how mixing fieldwork, microscopy, genomic analysis, and getting others opinions can lead to the best results possible. 

            I thought this article was very well written and engaged me since it was so recent. For the most part the science seemed to be backed up and explained well in the article. One part I questioned was, even though these cells contained many aspects of life, how could they say it is proof of super small life if they probably have a community effort to live.  This seemed contradictory to me since it shows they may not be self-sufficient organisms.  One thing I did not like about the article was it only reported when the scientists published their findings, it did not give us a sense of how long it took them to discover this ultra-small life. Overall this article was interesting and related to topics we were learning in biology now too.