Jeff Wheiler Bio1610 MWF@9

Discussion Question 1
Why would an astrobiologist search for water on another planet?

I liked this question the most because I find the universe intriguing. Who doesnt, right? First off lets talk about the upmost importance of water and what it means to us. As far as the human species knows, every living organism is made up of cells. Hence, cell theory.That means every known eukaryotic cell needs water to survive. Why? Because water is polar and contains the element hydrogen which is essentially the building blocks of life. Without water, there would be no life. Water has strange polarity. Water is less dense as a solid, which is why it floats but also means organisms like certain types of fish can live underneath the ice. If water was more dense as a solid it would freeze from the bottom and essentially create ice layers where no creature could live. Without a high-specific heat water would freeze entirely or just evaporate. Some other key factors would be, oh I dont know, the fact that our earth is covered in water, humans are mostly made of water, and the blood that runs through those veins of yours also has a high percentage of water. Water is also a great solvent which means we can mix stuff in it like Koolaid, just throwing that out there. If astrobiologists find water, ice, or even traces of water then the odds of finding life on another planet greatly increase. Space travel in itself is already extremely complicated and expensive so we simply cant travel from planet to planet searching microscopically for life forms.. But if we find a planet that has water, I believe it would be a huge motivation for scientists and engineers to come together once again and get our butts up there to find new life forms! Can I get a YAY for space travel? Can I get a Hoorah for new life forms?