Chemosynthesis would seem to imply a steady flow of fresh chemicals. No problem if there's a local hot (or cold) spring nearby. But if these critters are surrounded by miles of stable, constant temperature rock and mud, fresh chemicals from the mantle beneath or from rotting fish carcasses above are going to diffuse through very, very slowly. It might be enough to allow a very slow-paced existence, though.
My understanding of chemosynthesis from biology was that it was not a conversion of chemicals into energy, but heat into energy, which is why sulfur-fixing bacteria in geothermal springs can withstand the near-volcanic temperatures. Instead of using light, they're using heat. Again, that's just going off of the explanation my biology professor up here gave us two quarters ago when we were covering taxonomy.
It looks like it reacts inorganic molecules (hydrogen, sulfides, or methane) with oxygen to provide energy to build carbohydrates.
To really live off of pure heat, I think you'd need something like a heat engine; a steam engine or stirling engine or something like that, with a hot input and a cold exhaust. Not impossible, I guess, for a critter with it's head in a geothermal spring and it's tail hanging out in the cool ocean water.
Cool:) I like the idea. We've got self-winding watches that "feed" on vibration and movement, absorbing sound waves and storing the energy. The military is looking for ways to harvest the vibrations of soldiers' feet to power small electronics.
Living creatures could work the same way, eating minor earthquake tremors, whale songs, shockwaves, etc. A thick enough layer of them might be beneficial in attenuating quakes. It wouldn't give much energy over time, but maybe enough to stay alive.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemosynthesis
It looks like it reacts inorganic molecules (hydrogen, sulfides, or methane) with oxygen to provide energy to build carbohydrates.
To really live off of pure heat, I think you'd need something like a heat engine; a steam engine or stirling engine or something like that, with a hot input and a cold exhaust. Not impossible, I guess, for a critter with it's head in a geothermal spring and it's tail hanging out in the cool ocean water.
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:-D
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Cool:) I like the idea. We've got self-winding watches that "feed" on vibration and movement, absorbing sound waves and storing the energy. The military is looking for ways to harvest the vibrations of soldiers' feet to power small electronics.
Living creatures could work the same way, eating minor earthquake tremors, whale songs, shockwaves, etc. A thick enough layer of them might be beneficial in attenuating quakes.
It wouldn't give much energy over time, but maybe enough to stay alive.
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