The Outer Reaches of Life, by John Postgate

"Preachers in pulpits talked about what a great message is in the book. No matter what you do, somebody always imputes meaning into your books." THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL also known as 'Dr. SEUSS' also known as 'The beloved Dr. SEUSS'
Mednansky Institute Library

This section offers reviews or commentaries on classic scientific books acquired by the Mednansky Institute. It serves educational purposes and is intended for the public at large. Contact library@minst.org for comments or inquiries.
Next review: DARWIN of the BEAGLE by Bern Dibner, 1960. Special thanks to the Burndy Library for donation of the book.

INDEX by date of first edition:
^GoogleBook indicates an online version of the book is available at Google Book Search

[1920] Pasteur - The History of a Mind by Emile Duclaux^GoogleBook, translated by Erwin F. Smith and Florence Hedges. The original French version was published in 1896.

[1925] Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis

[1926] Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif

[1938] Madame Curie: A Biography by Eve Curie, translated by Vincent Sheean

[1947] On Understanding Science by James B. Conant

[1994] The Outer Reaches of Life by John Postgate

Revisiting The Outer Reaches of Life

Author: M. Crasnier-Mednansky, Ph.D., D.Sc.
Copyright © 2006, Mednansky Institute, Inc.

Twenty five years after "Microbes and Man" was largely read and acclaimed, microbiologist Professor John Postgate wrote a novel essay "The Outer Reaches of Life" published first in 1994. His endeavor was to describe, to non-scientist readers, microbial life as it exists in extreme terrestrial environments where temperatures, pressures, or other factors, would have been foreseen as unbearable to any kind of life as we know it. Bacteria, however, have been found in such environments and have established exotic, or some might say, eccentric ways of coping with extreme conditions. John Postgate's account of these "extremophiles" is both fascinating and sensational, and remains contemporary after more than ten years of active related research. Each chapter bears striking titles (outlined with grey background in the present text) and is illustrated with hobyahs (the causing-trouble imp-like creatures visualized by John D. Batten).

The information voyage begins where bacteria can only grow at temperatures well above the known range for terrestrial living organisms - Some like it hot. These "hyperthermophiles", whose optimum temperature range is around and in some cases even above the boiling point of water, are found in the turbulent zones of deep-sea hydrothermal vents. How these microorganisms can survive at such elevated temperature, and hydrostatic pressure (The big squeeze, another chapter), remains an open and fascinating question. Furthermore, they were found to belong to a distinctive group of look-alike bacteria named archaebacteria (or more recently archaea), however since "The Outer Reaches of Life" was penned other hyperthermophilic bacteria have been found that cohabitate with the hyperthermophilic archaea. Also, undiscovered at the time was the astonishing finding, in a submarine hydrothermal vent, of a "nanoorganism" growing on the surface of a normal-sized archaea.

A "chilling transition" takes us to places where temperatures are near freezing point - Cool, man, cool. Life at these temperatures, however, had been known to occur, for example arthropods survive freezing in tundra by generating cryoprotectants. Microorganisms dominate the biomass in these cold environments including ocean depths, and polar and alpine regions. "Psychrophilic" (cold-loving) bacteria are adapted to cold and die at temperature above 20°C (68°F). These bacteria, like other extremophiles, thrive in their native environment because of unique biological attributes.

A salty tale tells us of environments which are so salty that even marine creatures cannot live there. "Halophilic" (salt loving) archaea however flourish in saturated salt solutions, and on moist salt crystals. White salt flats turn from bright pink to deep red upon massive growth of one of them (Halobacterium salinarum). To cope with their habitat they maintain a high intracellular potassium chloride concentration (thereby balancing the osmotic pressure of the medium). They selectively "pump in" potassium ions present in salt deposits and "pump out" unwanted sodium ions. Even though they live in salt they really don't like it!

What do bacteria like? Some like Corrosive and slippery places like volcanic sulfur deposits or sulfur springs (the ones found there can corrode metals by thriving in highly acidic conditions), and soda lakes saturated with sodium carbonate (these like "slippery" alkaline conditions). Some like Exotic menus including poisonous natural products, cellulose and lignin from plants, and oil (these are of great assistance in cleaning oil spills). Some like Life without oxygen (these do not need oxygen and sometimes do not tolerate it). Some like The inertness of nitrogen (these are called nitrogen-fixing bacteria and convert atmospheric nitrogen into a chemical form plants can use for growth). Some like Getting about with their wavy flagella, or Company, or if not A private space. And finally, one must mention the "strange berry that withstands radiation" (Deinococcus radiodurans) and its fantastic ability to survive extreme radiation and even grow under constant radiation. No doubt a daunting chapter to be written!

Are there places bacteria have not colonized? Maybe Life's outer reaches and, as John Postgate concludes "It will be a supreme example of life's ability to extend its outer reaches - as so often, by altering its world to suit itself". However, in a more dramatic instance, while focusing on behavioral analogies between microbes and man, he conclusively writes "…even if mankind could find, and use, remedies or palliatives to the environmental and social problems which we are generating, we must still stop multiplying. This is a truth that many otherwise environmentally conscious people still prefer to forget, but there is no getting away from population control. We have only one Earth to live on - at present". Time maybe running short to save ourselves!