In the early formations of the earth volcanic activity created an atmosphere filled with sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. All of earth was covered in volcanoes, spewing out the sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide compounds. This chemical makeup of our atmosphere made it inhabitable to all forms of life. It remained like this for approximately 1.1 billion years before very simple organisms began to transform our world. The earliest form of life, known as a stromatalite, is believed to be the organism that created the habitable planet that we currently occupy. If it wasn't for these very simple forms of bacteria, then life on earth would not exist.
Stromatalites are believed to be responsible for life on earth. They came into existence 3.5 billion years ago when the earth was still young. Stromatalites are the first form of photosynthetic organisms on earth. They formed on rocks through sedimentation of bacteria and slowly began to colonize. As the colony increased in size they began taking more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turned it into oxygen. This process continued for around a billion years before the stromatalites were preceded by another form of sulfur oxidizing and sulfate reducing bacteria. Slowly but surely these simple marine organisms manipulated our atmosphere until it was habitable to eukaryotic cells.
Currently these forms of bacteria still remain in existence. They are often called brown algae, yes this is the same algae that is in your aquarium. That algae is responsible for life on this planet. In nature its commonly targeted by marine grazing organisms so it is not as abundant as it was 3.5 billion years ago.
Stromatalites are believed to be responsible for life on earth. They came into existence 3.5 billion years ago when the earth was still young. Stromatalites are the first form of photosynthetic organisms on earth. They formed on rocks through sedimentation of bacteria and slowly began to colonize. As the colony increased in size they began taking more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turned it into oxygen. This process continued for around a billion years before the stromatalites were preceded by another form of sulfur oxidizing and sulfate reducing bacteria. Slowly but surely these simple marine organisms manipulated our atmosphere until it was habitable to eukaryotic cells.
Currently these forms of bacteria still remain in existence. They are often called brown algae, yes this is the same algae that is in your aquarium. That algae is responsible for life on this planet. In nature its commonly targeted by marine grazing organisms so it is not as abundant as it was 3.5 billion years ago.
