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A Nonradioactive Simulation of the Viking Mission Labeled-Release Experiment: A Search for Evidence of Life

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Lydia Galagovsky

Centro de Formación en Enseñanza de las Ciencias, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Santiago Kocmur and Guillermo J. Visbeek

Instituto Antártico Argentino, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Liliana Haim

Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Eduardo Cortón

Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

J. Chem. Educ., 2002, 79 (9), p 1105

DOI: 10.1021/ed079p1105

Publication Date (Web): September 1, 2002

Abstract

How does one distinguish life from nonlife? This hands-on activity reproduces the life-test experiments carried out by the Viking Mars missions by simple nonradioactive laboratory experiments. A CO₂ potentiometric electrode is used to measure the carbon dioxide released by the addition of glucose solution to soil and sand samples. The experiments include sterile samples with and without potassium hydrogen phthalate and sodium bicarbonate to test nonbiological reactions. The experimental results are subjected to a kinetic analysis to differentiate biological from abiotic processes.

Keywords (Audience):

Upper-Division Undergraduate

Keywords (Domain):

Biochemistry

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives

Keywords (Subject):

Acids / Bases

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Received: August 03, 2009

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Article

A Nonradioactive Simulation of the Viking Mission Labeled-Release Experiment: A Search for Evidence of Life

Abstract

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Keywords (Domain):

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SciFinder Links

History

Recommend & Share

Related Content

Audience-Appropriate Analogies: Collision Theory

Flat-Band Potential of a Semiconductor: Using the Mott–Schottky Equation

Applying Chemical Potential and Partial Pressure Concepts To Understand the Spontaneous Mixing of Helium and Air in a Helium-Inflated Balloon

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