How sea anemones living on deep-sea hydrothermal vents avoid metal poisoning

Life near deep-sea hydrothermal vents can be pretty metal — literally.

In addition to crushing pressures, total darkness and scorching temperatures, poisonous plumes belch from beneath the Earth’s surface. Exhaust from these underwater chimneys contains particles of heavy metals like iron and manganese, which become toxic at high concentrations. But many animals cozy up next to these vents and form thriving communities, seemingly able to withstand the dangerous metals around them.

Now, researchers have a hint of how one creature survives this hard-core environment. The sea anemone Alvinactis idsseensis has a surprising abundance of genes geared toward producing proteins that move metals into a cellular area where they can’t

→ Continue reading at Science News

More from author

Related posts

Advertisment

Latest posts

Eight Tried-And-True Tips For Starting A Home-Based Business

As more and more people in today's workforce seek greater fulfillment in their careers, entrepreneurship has become an increasingly compelling avenue for self-discovery and...

6 Innovative Startup Opportunities In Manufacturing

The manufacturing industry, traditionally associated with assembly lines and heavy machinery, is undergoing a remarkable transformation driven by innovative information-age startups. In this...

Giant planet ‘destabilization’ may have coincided with the birth of Earth’s moon

A long-ago reshuffling of the giant planets in our solar system may have been instrumental in giving Earth its moon. For decades, planetary scientists...