Earth metabolic rate

While primary producers in the ocean comprise only —1% of Earth s biomass, their metabolic rate and biogeochemical impact rivals the much larger terrestrial ecosystem. On geological timescales, these organisms are the little engines that are essential to maintaining life as we know it on this planet. 

In the early days of the U.S. space program, monkeys were used to test the first occupied satellites in Earth orbit. If you worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at that time, you may have been asked to determine the amount of life support necessary to sustain the monkey named "Ham" while in orbit. Calculate the metabolic rate, heat production, oxygen consumption, food and liquid requirements, and expected rate of waste production. 

Microorganisms have been found growing at depths of 2.8-4.2 km beneath the land surface (Pedersen 1993 Fyfe 1996 Kerr 1997). Microbes at 4.2 km grow at a temperature of 110°C. Temperature, rather than pressure, is probably the most important growth-limiting factor for deep-earth microbes (Pedersen 1993 Fyfe 1996). Organic biopolymers and complex cellular structures tend to be destroyed at elevated temperatures, and apparently elevated metabolism and cellular repair activity does not compensate for the rates at which critical bonds are broken hence, cells cannot repair thermal damage beyond a point. 

The natural production of is a secondary effect of cosmic-ray bombardment in the upper atmosphere. Following productiorr, it is oxidized to form " C02. In this form, is distributed throughout the earth s atmosphere. Most of it is absorbed in the oceans, while a small percentage becomes part of the terrestrial biosphere by means of the photosynthesis process and the distribution of carbon compounds through the different pathways of the earth s carbon cycle. Metabolic processes maintain the content of living organisms in equilibrium with atmospheric However, once metabolic processes cease—as at the death of an animal or plant— the amount of will begin to decrease by decay at a rate measured by the half-life. 

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