Not quite. This bacteria had evolved tolerance for Arsenic due to it's environment which while being abnormally high in arsenic levels and had a PH of 10 still contained Phosphates, the organisms were using the phosphates in their environment primarily. What happened when these microbes were put into conditions where there was absolutely no phosphate and only arsenate is the amazing part, the microbes were able to use the arsenate in the same biochemical processes, albeit with somewhat different results.
Anyway, what this most remarkably demonstrates is that the usual mix of N, O, H, C, P and S required for life is not a boundary but a commonality.
What would be extremely interesting is if Selenium can be used in place of Sulfur or Silicon in place of Carbon, this would be more amazing as it would make the proportions and relationships between bonds more important than the elements themselves. If more evidence is gathered supporting that idea then the likelihood of life occurring from environment to environment increases several fold.
Anyway, what this most remarkably demonstrates is that the usual mix of N, O, H, C, P and S required for life is not a boundary but a commonality.
What would be extremely interesting is if Selenium can be used in place of Sulfur or Silicon in place of Carbon, this would be more amazing as it would make the proportions and relationships between bonds more important than the elements themselves. If more evidence is gathered supporting that idea then the likelihood of life occurring from environment to environment increases several fold.
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