Scientists assumed most forms of life before the Great Oxidation Event didn't metabolize oxygen—but recent research suggests ...

When an organism dies, the atoms that were bound in biomolecules return to simpler molecules in the atmosphere, water and soil through the action of decomposers. Each organism has a unique ...

and helped to protect organisms emerging onto land from potentially lethal does of UV. Today plant life controls a large fraction of energy and water fluxes between land and the atmosphere.

(Nanowerk Spotlight) The atmosphere contains six times more water than all rivers on Earth combined. This vast reservoir has tantalized scientists seeking solutions to global water scarcity, but ...

The thing is that water is extremely difficult to split ... and the success of these pioneering organisms filled the atmosphere with oxygen. This transformed our planet and allowed the development ...