時差N小時:地球上最成功的物種

For many scientists, a species'success is measuredby sheer numbers.

對很多科學(xué)家來說，一個物種的成功完全取決于數(shù)量。

In that case, the most successful species knowntoman is a type of bacterium known as S-A-R-11, orSAR-11 for short.

如果是那樣是話，為人類所知的最成功的物種就是一種簡稱“SAR-11”的細(xì)菌。

Scientists estimate that there are two-hundred andforty times a billion billion billion SAR11 cells floatingaround in the oceans.

科學(xué)家們估計海洋中的SAR11細(xì)胞的數(shù)量超過2 x 10的28次方個。

Now that makes six-billion humans sound like a merehandful.

那讓60億人類聽起來屈指可數(shù)。

SAR11 bacteria are known for their ability to transform one substance into another, which iswhythey are such an important part of the Earth's chemical cycles.

SAR11細(xì)菌以其轉(zhuǎn)換物質(zhì)的能力為人所知。而這也使得它們成為地球化學(xué)循環(huán)中重要的部分。

Although scientists are stilluncertain about SAR11's specific role, it appears to produce carbondioxide using the oxygen andcarbon from organic matter that's derived from photo synthesis.

盡管科學(xué)家不能確定SAR11的具體作用。但它似乎可以使來自于光合作用的氧氣和有機(jī)物種的碳發(fā)生作用，產(chǎn)生二氧化碳。

Scientists speculate that SAR11plays a major role in the way the ocean's surface acts as agiant carbon pump that removescarbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

科學(xué)家推測SAR11在海洋表面扮演著重要的作用，作為一個巨大的碳泵移除空氣中的二氧化碳。

The catch is that SAR11 is what is known as an uncultured organism, which means thatscientistshaven't been able to cultivate it under laboratory conditions.

但目前SAR11是為培養(yǎng)生物，也就是說科學(xué)家不能在實驗室里培養(yǎng)出這種細(xì)菌。

This requires scientists to developpretty indirect genetic methods just to be able to studySAR11 cultures.

因此需要科學(xué)家們研制出間接遺傳方法，來研究SAR11。

Now that this technologyis available, scientists are sequencing the SAR11 genome in order tofigure out exactly what kindsof carbon it uses, and why it's so successful at ocean living.

既然這項技術(shù)可用，科學(xué)家為了弄清楚究竟SAR11用的是哪種碳以及為什么它會如此的成功在海洋中生活，正在排序它的基因組。