“Could anyone ever have imagined that a living organism could survive without oxygen?” asked Sumaiya, a university student, with curiosity while sitting at a tea stall on a campus in the capital. Until recently, this was considered unimaginable. But a recent scientific discovery has completely changed our understanding of life on Earth.
Scientists have recently discovered a parasite that is absolutely independent of oxygen. This mysterious organism is called Henneguya salminicola. It is a tiny creature resembling a jellyfish, primarily living as a parasite in the bodies of salmon fish.
Even more astonishing is the fact that, unlike most animals, its cells lack a mitochondrial genome—the genetic structure responsible for producing energy by using oxygen inside the cell. So how does this organism survive?
According to researchers, this parasite likely survives by directly absorbing energy from the body of the salmon fish. Dr. Abid Hasan, professor of the Department of Biology at the University of Dhaka, said, “This discovery has not only transformed our understanding of biology, but also raised new questions about the evolution and adaptation of life. It is also inspiring scientists to search for life in oxygen-free environments in space.”
Student Jahid Hasan thinks, “This is teaching us to rethink the possibility that life might exist in non-oxygen environments outside Earth as well. Undoubtedly, this is revolutionary for space research.”
This discovery has opened up new horizons not only for Earth’s biodiversity, but also for the field of astrobiology (space biology). Now scientists will be able to search with greater confidence for the existence of life in oxygen-free environments across the universe.
Learn more:
🔗 PNAS Research Report
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