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Imagine what Earth would look like if it's green, well, purple.
That otherworldly fantasy could have actually been a reality during the earth's onset, a new study says, as the first organisms on Earth might have developed a way to get energy by absorbing energy from sunlight using the retinal molecule.
That discovery means Earth may have had a longer life in the past, and it may have been used for other purposes throughout the galaxy, according to the study published in the International Journal of Astrobiology.
Currently, plants on Earth uses the green-hued molecule to help reduce carbon dioxide in the environment. But researchers suggest that life might have started using purple-colored retinal to get needed energy.
Life using retinal molecules absorb green and yellow light, the study says, then emit a mix of blue and red light that comes out purple.
And they are not a thing of the past, University of California astrobiologist Dr. Edward Schwieterman told Astrobiology Magazine.
"Retinal-based phototrophic metabolisms are still prevalent throughout the world, especially in the oceans, and represent one of the most important bioenergetic processes on earth," the study's co-author said, according to the newspaper.
Around 2.4 billion years ago, the Earth – with an atmosphere high in methane and carbon dioxide – experienced a rapid increase in the amount of oxygen. The study's authors believe that plants are used both in the body and in the environment and in the environment.
The study estimates that both chlorophyll and retinal co-exists to absorb energy from the sun at different wavelengths, even though the retinal cam first.
Organisms use retinal molecules to absorb the sun's light peaking at 568 nm wavelengths, which falls into the range that chlorophyll does not, the study says. As noted by The Great Lakes Ledger, that led scientists to wonder if it was "something else" that has already been absorbed into the sun's energy.
"This is exactly what we thought about the two pigments – retinal and chlorophyll – may have co-evolved," said Shiladitya DasSarma University of Maryland School of Medicine microbiologist, according to Astrobiology Magazine.
So what does this mean for the search for aliens?
Basically, if it happened here on Earth, it could happen elsewhere. So, scientists behind the study suggest we should broaden the scope of what types of organizations we look for on exoplanets when trying to figure out if we are alone in the universe.
Specifically, we should start looking for a "green edge," the study says.
Scientists are currently looking for a "red edge" on distant planets with a lot of luck. Since it's the type of life we know, it's a method used by those for aliens.
But if a planet has had a primary role in retinal molecules, the study says, you should expect a "green edge." And DasSarma said, "Simple" and "common," LiveScience reported.
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