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Sources of Energy
Topic Started: Jul 18 2009, 08:46 PM (1,285 Views)
Ànraich
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So I'm thinking we need a topic about possible new methods of gathering energy in alien organisms. Here on Earth we have producers, such as plants, that undergo photosynthesis. Sunlight, along with water and nutrient-rich soil, is used in plants to generate food. Next on the list is the herbivores, who eat the plants, then the carnivores, who eat the herbivores and each other. So basically we have photosynthesizers, herbivores, and carnivores. What other ways of getting energy might there be, and what might they evolve from?

Are there organisms out there somewhere that break down minerals for energy through some form of chemosynthesis? If so might they use the minerals that are not converted into energy as some form of shield or shell; secreting solid rock onto their bodies for protection? What about liquivores? Perhaps even some vampire-like hemavores that gain energy from blood and blood alone? Maybe even some unique form of hydrolysis where the organism breaks down water into hydrogen for energy and oxygen for respiration?

Your thoughts, comments, concerns?
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"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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ATEK Azul
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Peizoelectric, chemosynthysis, thermalsynthesis and filterfeeding are some that I know of how ever for higher life maybe life that sucks the cloraphill equivialents out and then the predators(?) only eat partially digested meals from the herbivores(?) that they kill?
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colddigger
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you mean new ways of eating and making sugars?

and there are chemosynthetic lifeforms on the ocean floor, if that's what you meant...

for actually energizing their cells easiest one i can think of is having the equivalent of a battery, same chemicals and everything, although that doesn't sound very efficient... maybe use the chemical reaction to charge lithium which transfers the electrons to the different parts of the cell... something...
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Sounds interesting though how would conventional life hold the acid without damaging them selves? Are they carbon and lithium based with out water?
Edited by ATEK Azul, Jul 19 2009, 04:49 PM.
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Ànraich
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A living battery, that's an interesting idea. They'd probably be like plants of some kind, unless they had to actively seek the chemicals needed to make itself a battery. It could even be used as a deterrent to predators as well; bite it and get a shock.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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ATEK Azul
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Wow I wonder what lithium versions of fossil rocks would be like? Lithium coal and lithium limestone sounds interesting.

Edit:

How would a lithium carbon brain work or the blood systems since they have lithium and no water?

Also could plants still produce cellulose with lithium instead of water?

And then their is the question of what would happen with water on their planet?
Edited by ATEK Azul, Jul 19 2009, 06:24 PM.
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colddigger
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i don't think the plant is going to be making cellulose if it isn't even making sugar for energy... what do you mean by what would happen with the water?
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Well water cycles through organisms, evaporates and has things die, grow, erode and excrete into it so if organisms can't use water why would organisms grow or clean or even try to effect the water and if they are not effecting it, then whats stopping the decayed substances, chemical reactions and other thing li it from either changing it, destroying it or allowing it to completely evaporate? And if the oceans and seas are either gone or in the atmosphere what is stablising the climate and absorbing the suns heat or cuasing the change of land scapes(besides wind, tectonics and life(water does alot of changing for the land scapes))?
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oh, i think i get what you're saying, the oceans would probably (assuming life didn't develop in them meaning they have no real attachment to it) become a soup of chemicals that would make it deadly to us, but considering these chemicals are from the lithium organisms i imagine that the critters will move into the oceans and take advantage of it.

The water cycle, if this planet is in the same set up with its star as the earth is with the sun, will continue regularly with evaporation and precipitation and whatnot.

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Okay well I was wondering because water effects alot and I could just see a super desert.

As for the colonising the water they could once it is polluted enough but after that they might start braking down the water into hydrogen and oxygen, with oxygen for respiration and hydrogen as fuel and/or waste, this would slowly transform the ocean into sludge and make them shrink. By then aquatic life would have almost nothing incommon with our marine life because they are swimming in acidic tar that may have actually gained alot of charge from various things. This may cause constant explosions and oceananic fires on the surface which will get rid of remaining water world wide and heat up the atmosphere with the gases released and cool it down by blocking out the sun most likely which might make this world a real hell?

That was just a theory by the way.
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more like LOs Heaven! (lo= lithium organism)

sounds like a cool idea for a planet, but what would they use the oxygen for? we use it to get extra energy from breaking down sugars, while these guys wouldn't be using sugar at all... either way, once these things run out of water in the ocean taking to the clouds as massive parachutes and nets would be interesting
-blackened skies and lightning everywhere you see a massive cloudnet sifting through the storm collecting the water droplets to power its dead end metabolism, sentenced to doom by its ancestors it desperately hangs on to life...below it the familiar orange flame of the vast ocean fires spew tarry fumes into the air...-

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Interesting idea and your post sounds like a story lol.

What would they use for a skeleton metals because I think based on lime stone that acid and calcium don't go together.

As for the oxygen maybe they would use it in protean equivilents or use it to help burn hydrogen?

Would the planet be not or cold? the dark sky lets no sunlite in but dark colors absorb more heat and the gases would make a difference also.

Maybe this needs it's own topic?
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colddigger
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they can use glass for skeletons, carbon fibers, i dunno...i don't think the acid would really be mixing with it...

maybe use the oxygen in some kind of chemical reaction that makes more electricity than their regular reactions? or maybe it could be caste aside and the hydrogen used, the extra oxygen would promote oceanic fires!

maybe it could have seasons dealing with the blackened skies, one season it's really dark and stormy, the other its not so much...





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Sounds interesting.

The glass could be an extension of the nerves.

Maybe we should figuer out what they breath if any thing because that will effect alot about the climate.

The seasons might depend on the moon, sun, tilt and orbit alot more or alot less on this world because of the changes in distance of the sun and gravity plus solar storms.

Also by the time the planet is earths age the hydrogen and oxygen might be completely gone which means an extinction of the old and a revolution of living systems at some point in time.
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i figured that they wouldn't breathe since they get their energy from basically organic batteries, chemical reactions like in duracell batteries or something.

why would the oxygen and hydrogen be gone? you mean the water?
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