Jul 26 2008
A Long Way from Water
As a public school student I learned that living cells contain water. And what a precious resource it is. In desert regions, such as large areas of New Mexico, where the above photo was taken, the plants that survive to reproduce are those that protect their water. Without it, cells shrink and lose their ability to host that complex dance of chemical interactions we call life. And thus the development of tough membranes, thorns and spikes.
According to our current understanding, all cellular life originated in a rich liquid soup. The ocean? Puddles near the ocean? A clay shoreline repeatedly lapped by sea waters? Whatever the case, most lifeforms, including ourselves, have wandered quite a distance from our beginnings.
