The earth's surface is covered with green plants and bacteria, which absorb a lot of red light and reflect a lot of visible and infrared light from the sun.This leads to this really cool feature of life on earth: the red edge.<ul><li>satellites around earth use this to trace vegetation growth</li><li>astrobiologists may be able to look for this feature to find a sign of life</li></ul>

The red edge

It might be blue, or not even visible light.The researchers' goal was to figure out where future telescopes should look for a red edge, or whatever color it is.These findings could help scientists find vegetation on other planets in the next few decades.

What if the edge is not red?

Jan Ingenhousz published the research on photosynthesis in 1779.<ul><li>He placed plants into a transparent container and submerged them in water</li><li>Small bubbles appeared on the bottom of the plants</li><li>The bubbles only appeared on the green parts</li><li>He found that the bubbles stopped producing when they were taken out of sunlight</li></ul>

How was photosynthesis discovered?

Until recently, blue-green algae were thought to be the first organisms to photosynthesize, about 2.7 billion years ago.In a 2018 study, scientists found out that ancient microbes have been photosynthesizing 1 billion years earlier than thought.<ul><li>complex life would have been able to evolve earlier</li></ul>

When did photosynthesis first appear in nature?

Researchers have uncovered a bacteria that uses stolen technology.<ul><li>The bacterium stole photosynthesis-related genes from a different bacteria</li><li>This bacteria now has a central reaction center, an inner sunlight-capturing ring, but it also has a new type of outer ring</li><li>This study shows that this species independently evolved its own solar-energy trapping technology</li></ul>

Bacteria with stolen photosynthesis

Would chlorophyll's green pigment still be the best? or would plants be a different color?New research published uses numerical models of chemistry and physics of photosynthesis to find the optimal wavelengths of light.

What if a star emits a different color of light?

A very interesting podcast about plants, tried to start small, so here's how photosynthesis was discovered, when it first appeared, a bacteria that uses stolen technology and how photosynthesis can be used to find alien life. 🛰️🔎🌿

Learn how photosynthesis was uncovered by scientists, how this amazing set of biochemical reactions might help find aliens, and meet a cunning species of bacteria that's evolved with stolen photosynthesizing technology.

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Science Fiction

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Science & Nature

Discover the surprising world of plants with Branch Out host Vanessa Fuchs as you explore botanic gardens, science facilities and the Australian landscape with passionate plant experts.