Genetically Modified Animals: Jurassic World and Real World

                                                   Life Beyond Earth

by Aina Shakeel

Humans have always wished to venture beyond Earth to expand human society and obtain additional resources for survival. In the case of Mars, humans have already progressed to the second stage of colonization. However, there are far too many issues, and establishing a permanent colony outside of Earth is difficult! To achieve the pleasant future we desire, we must first put forth a lot of effort!

Earth vs Mars :

When we consider settling on Mars, it all appears simple because the days are slightly longer, and there is water beneath the surface. It seems the most habitable place in the solar system after Earth; however, what about oxygen? What about the highly toxic soil? The freezing temperatures? If you've seen the film 'The Martian,' you've seen Mark Watney struggle to survive on Mars. He was unprepared for the stay, yet he survived, but it was all a movie, and settling a whole colony there will be difficult. The red planet is indeed a harsh environment for life.

The Red Planet

https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w1300-q80/upload/bb/c3/32/shutterstock-1041249343.jpg

 

The atmosphere of Mars:

Watney is seen carrying an oxygen supply with him wherever he goes. He can't simply step outside to breathe fresh air; instead, he uses an "oxygenator," a system that generates Oxygen from carbon dioxide from the MAV (Mars Ascent Vehicle) fuel generator. When Mark is left alone on Mars after a storm, it was shown that his oxygen level and pressure was critical due to damage to his spacesuit. Later, when the entrance chamber explodes, his helmet cracks, causing the oxygen level and pressure to be unstable again, and he seals it with duct tape immediately to replenish his Oxygen, this is because the Earth's atmosphere contains 21% oxygen, whereas Mars' atmosphere contains only 0.16% oxygen and 95% carbon dioxide, making breathing impossible for humans.

Unlike Earth, Mars' atmosphere lacks an ozone layer. This means that ultraviolet radiation from the Sun and other astronomical sources can reach the Earth's surface without being obstructed. Any organic compounds exposed to this radiation are at risk.

There is also no warm layer comparable to Earth's stratosphere, making it significantly colder than Earth. It is primarily because it is much farther from the sun.  Mars has an average temperature of -81 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures at the poles range from around -220 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to +70 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Any human, plant, or animal would freeze if exposed to this temperature.

This demonstrates how Mars' atmosphere is unwelcoming, and human colonization is impossible without exceptional systems designed to stabilize oxygen levels, pressure, and temperature.

Comparison of Earth and Mars’s atmosphere.
https://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2018/04/comparing_the_atmospheres_of_mars_and_earth/17444033-1-eng-GB/Comparing_the_atmospheres_of_Mars_and_Earth_pillars.jpg

 

Fertilizing Mars Soil:

Mark is seen several times calculating how much food he has and how long it will keep him alive. Initially, he tabulates that the food will last him a year, so he must figure out how to grow enough food until another crew arrives on Mars.

He achieves this by using the potatoes brought by his crew for Thanksgiving. He brought soil from outside to sow the potatoes, but the sandy, red soil depicted in the film is unlikely to exist. A few centimeters of the surface soil is oxidized, but it's most likely grey deeper down.

 Nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium are required in soil for crops to grow well, and if the soil lacks these nutrients, it is necessary to use fertilizers to increase crop yield. Because the soil on Mars lacks these nutrients, Watney used human waste to compensate. It acted as organic waste, supplying all of the necessary nutrients.

Martian soil is almost entirely mineral matter, with a small amount of water. It has none of the organic matter found in the soil on Earth.

http://tomatosphere.letstalkscience.ca/Portals/5/Images/Backgrounders/soil-comparison.jpg

 

Water and Mars:

He needed a lot of water to water his crops. Mars has liquid water beneath the ice cap at the planet's southern pole, but accessing it is difficult. So Mark devised a method of producing water by rigging up a machine that generates water through small chemical fires. The device was effective in assisting the plants in sprouting.

Watering plants on Mars comparatively use less water than on Earth. This is because of the change in gravity which is approximately 38% that of Earth’s. Water would flow differently through Martian soil. The soil can hold more water than on Earth, and water and nutrients within the soil would drain away more slowly.

The only visible water that can be seen on Mars’ surface is at the northern polar ice caps.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Comp-1_7.mp4

 

Hydroponics to Grow crops:

Finally, to grow food on Mars artificial light would be required. Without the protective influence of a thick atmosphere, the radiation from the sun would mutate and damage the crops if grown on the 'surface'. The extreme cold temperatures on Mars make life difficult to sustain. Mars receives far less heat and light than Earth. As seen in the film, when the entrance chamber exploded, all of his crops were instantly damaged due to the exposure to Mars' atmosphere. Even the system he had set up to keep the plants watered was destroyed.

Since the late 1980s, NASA plant scientists have been studying how to grow potatoes (such as the ones shown here) in hydroponic solutions, which are expected to be used on missions to Mars.

https://www.acs.org/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/past-issues/2016-2017/april-2017/growing-green-on-the-red-planet.html

Bones and Muscle Mass:

Without Earth-like exercise, astronauts would experience bone and muscle loss or atrophy during their stays in space. This may cause serious health issues from injuries due to falls or osteoporosis for astronauts on Earth. A nutritious and adequate diet and exercise are essential, so astronauts working aboard the space station are “prescribed” more than two hours of physical activity per day to combat muscle and bone atrophy and a well-balanced diet with the appropriate vitamins and minerals.

We can see in the clip that Mark became significantly weaker after seven months. It is due to the low-oxygen environments of space travel. Mitochondria are found in cells and use oxygen to generate energy through a process known as oxidative metabolism. People move with their skeletal muscles, so being active necessitates oxidative metabolism by these muscles; however, scientists have discovered that inactivity may have a more pronounced effect on skeletal muscle than a lack of Oxygen.

Researchers have investigated the mechanisms by which the tissue obtains energy. It does so by burning sugars and fats with the help of oxygen during exercise, which is why there was a shot of the crewmates working out inside their Hermes gym.

Bone loss can be a significant impediment on long-duration space flights, such as those planned for missions to Mars and beyond. This loss may not affect astronauts while in orbit, but when they return to Earth, their weakened bones will be more fragile and prone to fractures.

 

The difference between a normal person's bone and an astronaut's bone.

http://www.azendo.com/images/bone.jpg

Conclusion:

Mars is considered the next frontier in human space flight. It is the closest world to us that could host life, even if they are microbes. We’ll have to figure out how to have a stable supply of oxygen, pressure and temperature while figuring out a way to grow crops and take care of our health.

References:

·         Magazine, Smithsonian. “A Lunchbox-Sized Device Is Making Oxygen on Mars.” Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution, September 6, 2022. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-instrument-aboard-nasas-mars-rover-can-produce-oxygen-at-the-rate-of-a-small-tree-180980699/#:~:text=Compared%20to%20the%20Earth's%20atmosphere,a%20miniscule%200.16%.

·         US Department of Commerce, NOAA. “The Planet Mars.” The Planet Mars. NOAA's National Weather Service, November 29, 2022. https://www.weather.gov/fsd/mars#:~:text=Temperatures%20on%20Mars%20average%20about,lower%20latitudes%20in%20the%20summer.

·         Johnson, Michael. “Bone and Muscle Loss in Microgravity.” NASA. NASA, January 7, 2020. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/station-science-101/bone-muscle-loss-in-microgravity/.

·         Kinberg, S. (Producer); Scott, R. (Director). The Martian [Motion Picture]. United States: 20th Century Fox, 2015.

·         “Mars: Extreme Planet.” NASA. NASA. Accessed December 15, 2022. http://mars.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/extreme/.

·         Hooper, Rowan. “The Martian: The Science of Surviving a Space Catastrophe.” New Scientist. New Scientist, September 25, 2015. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28238-the-martian-the-science-of-surviving-a-space-catastrophe/.

·         The Physiological Society. "What happens to our muscles during spaceflight and when living on Mars?." ScienceDaily. (accessed December 15, 2022).www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180418100522.htm