With liquid water underneath its icy surface, Jupiter’s moon Europa is often cited as a potential site for extraterrestrial life. What other compounds would indicate that chemosynthesis supports life on the planet?(1 point)

Question

With liquid water underneath its icy surface, Jupiter’s moon Europa is often cited as a potential site for extraterrestrial life. What other compounds would indicate that chemosynthesis supports life on the planet?(1 point)
Responses

oxygen
oxygen

hydrogen peroxide
hydrogen peroxide

glucose
glucose

methane

GPT-4o mini · Answer

In the context of potential chemosynthesis that could support life on Europa, the presence of methane could be a significant indicator. Methane can be produced by microbial life through various metabolic processes, and its presence could suggest that there are biochemical processes occurring beneath the icy surface. While oxygen and hydrogen peroxide are important for aerobic life, they are not direct indicators of chemosynthesis supporting life in the same way methane could be. Glucose, while an important energy source for life, is more related to organic processes rather than a direct indicator of chemosynthesis. Therefore, the most relevant response indicating chemosynthesis that supports life would be:

methane.