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Early earth

Arsenic and primordial life

Nature Geoscience volume 7, pages 785–786 (2014)Cite this article

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Some modern microorganisms derive energy from the oxidation and reduction of arsenic. The association of arsenic with organic cellular remains in 2.7-billion-year-old stromatolites hints at arsenic-based metabolisms at the dawn of life.

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Figure 1: Modern arsenic-based ecosystems.

IMAGE CREDIT: THOMAS KULP

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Thomas R. Kulp is in the Department of Geological Sciences and Environmental Studies, Binghamton University SUNY, Binghamton, New York 13902, USA,

    Thomas R. Kulp

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  1. Thomas R. Kulp
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Correspondence to Thomas R. Kulp.

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Kulp, T. Arsenic and primordial life. Nature Geosci 7, 785–786 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2275

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