生命的奇迹（2013）

into chemical energy
以质子的形式储存于湖中
and stores it as a reservoir of protons in the lake.
这与简易电池或燃料电池
And this is the same way energy is stored
储存能量的方式相同
in a simple battery or fuel cell.
这两个瓶子盛有弱酸
These bottles contain a weak acid
并通过半透膜相连
and are connected by a semi-permeable membrane.
让电流通过弱酸
Passing an electric current through them has a similar effect
和火山的能量以气泡传向湖面的效果类似
to the volcano's energy bubbling up into the lake.
这使一个瓶子中的质子数量增加
It causes protons to build up in one of the bottles.
试想一下 就像瀑布
You can think of it, I suppose, like a waterfall,
质子在顶端等待着一泻而下
where the protons are up here waiting to flow down.
想要释放这个能量进行利用
All you have to do to release that energy
只需连通电路
and do something useful with it is complete the circuit.
我只要
Which I can do
连接一个马达就行了
by just connecting a motor to it.
好了 看吧
There you go. Look at that.
质子从瀑布顶端倾泻下来
That's the protons cascading down the waterfall
驱动了这个马达
and driving the motor around.
成功了
It actually works!
非常不错
Quite remarkable, actually.
燃料电池人为地♥产♥生并利用
Now, the fuel cell produces and exploits
这种质子电化学梯度
its proton gradient artificially.
但是地球上也有地方
But there are places on Earth
能自然地形成这种梯度
where that gradient occurs completely naturally.
以此处举例
Here, for example.
那边的酸性火山湖
So we've got the proton reservoir over there,
就是质子池
the acidic volcanic lake.
如果你往这儿看 这是另一个湖
If you look that way, there's another lake,
湖水与岸边岩石反应
and the reaction of the water with the rocks on the shore
使水呈弱碱性
make that lake slightly alkaline,
就是说那里质子数量偏少
which is to say that there's a deficit of protons down there.
这里就是一个瀑布
So here's the waterfall,
上面有质子池 下面质子偏少
a reservoir of protons up there, a deficit down there.
你只需把它们连接起来
If you could just connect them,
就有了天然的地质燃料电池
then you'd have a naturally occurring geological fuel cell.
据推测 地球上最初的生命
And it's thought that the first life on our planet
可能就是利用了
may have exploited the energy
自然质子瀑布释放的能量
released in those natural proton waterfalls.
你们觉得怎样 很棒吧
What do you think? It's good, isn't it?
这些图像
These are pictures
拍摄于大西洋海底深处
from deep below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean,
在百慕大和加那利群岛之间的某处海域
somewhere between Bermuda and the Canaries.
这里被称为失落之城
And it's a place known as the Lost City.
原因显而易见
You can see why.
看看这些巨大的岩石塔
Look at these huge towers of rock,
有些高达50到60米
some of them 50-60 metres high,
从大西洋海底耸立而起
reaching up from the floor of the Atlantic and into the ocean.
这就是深海热液系统
It's what's known as a hydrothermal vent system.
这些岩石塔由地球内部缓缓升起的
So these things are formed by hot water and minerals and gases
热泉 矿物和气体形成
rising up from deep within the Earth.
但据说地球上的生命
But the reason it's thought that life on Earth
可能起源于这些结构中
may have begun in such structures
是因为这些是非常独特的深海热液喷口
is because these are a very unique kind of hydrothermal vent
叫做碱性喷口
called an alkaline vent.
大约40亿年前 地球上出现生命时
And, about four billion years ago, when life on Earth began,
海水是呈弱酸性的
seawater would have been mildly acidic.
所以就有了质子梯度
So, here is that proton gradient,
创造生命的能量之源
that source of energy for life.
酸性海水中有大量质子
You've got a reservoir of protons in the acidic seawater
喷口周围质子又偏少
and a deficit of protons around the vents.
而且喷口不仅是能量之源
And the vents don't just provide an energy source.
还富含孕育生命所需的原材料
They're also rich in the raw materials life needs.
氢气 二氧化碳
Hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide
以及含有铁 镍和硫的矿物
and minerals containing iron, nickel and sulphur.
但其中奥妙不止如此
But there's more than that.
这些喷口有好多小孔
See, these vents are porous.
里面有一些小洞室
There are little chambers inside them
它们起到聚集有机分子的作用
and they can act to concentrate organic molecules.
这些喷口中有所有的必要物质
You've got everything inside these vents.
构成生命的基础材料被凝聚
You've got concentrated building blocks of life
埋藏在岩石内部
trapped inside the rock.
周围还有质子梯度
And you've got that proton gradient,
提供生命所需能量的瀑布
you've got that waterfall that provides the energy for life.
所以这里可能是你远古祖先的诞生地
So this could be where your distant ancestors come from.
这样的地方
And places like these
可能是地球生命起源之地
could be the places where life on Earth began.
最初的生命体
The first living things might have
可能只是滋养它们的岩石的一部分
started out as part of the rock that created them.
简单的生物从喷口中
Simple organisms that exploited energy
自然形成的质子梯度获取能量
from the naturally-occurring proton gradients in the vents.
我们这么认为
And we think this
是因为如今的生物
because living things still get their energy
黑脉金斑蝶
墨西哥
仍从质子梯度获能
using proton gradients today.
桉树
澳大利亚
福勒蟾蜍
美国
而在我们体内
Deep within ourselves,
有一种叫做线粒体的结构
the chemistry the first life exploited in the vents
原始生命从喷口获取化学能的方法
is wrapped up in structures called mitochondria,
就包裹在这些微小电池中 为生命供能
microscopic batteries that power the processes of life.
智人
菲律宾
这是一只棕蝙蝠体内线粒体的照片
This is a picture of the mitochondria from the little brown bat.
这是一株植物体内线粒体的照片
This is a picture of the mitochondria from a plant.
它其实是十字花科的一员
It's actually a member of the mustard family.
这是面包霉菌内线粒体的照片
This is a picture of the mitochondria in bread mould.
这张则是疟原虫体内线粒体的照片
And this of mitochondria inside a malaria parasite.
最奇妙的是 这些动植物
So, the fascinating thing is that all these animals and plants,
乃至地球上的每一个生命
and in fact virtually every living thing on the planet,
都利用质子梯度产能 维持生命
uses proton gradients to produce energy to live.
为什么
Why?
答案估计是
Well, the answer is probably
所有形态各异的生物
because all these radically different forms of life
都有着共同的祖先
share a common ancestor.
而它们的共同祖先
And that common ancestor was something
是生活在古老海底喷口中的一种生物
that lived in those ancient undersea vents.
40亿年前
Four billion years ago,
自然形成的质子梯度
where naturally-occurring proton gradients
为原始生命提供了能量
provided the energy for the first life.
所以 若要寻找共同的生命火花
So, if you're looking for a universal spark of life,
这就是了
then this is it.
生命火花 就是质子梯度
The spark of life is proton gradients.
过去的40亿年里
In those four billion years,
星星之火已然燎原
that spark has grown into a flame.
聚集在热液喷口上的简单生物
And a few simple organisms clustered around a hydrothermal vent
如今进化成了种类繁多的生物
have evolved to produce all the magnificent diversity
遍布地球各地
that covers the Earth today.
如今 地球上的生命如此多样
Today, life on Earth is so diverse,
覆盖的面♥积♥如此之大
it covers so much of the planet
你会发现拥有封闭生态系统的地方
that you can find places like this lake,
比如这个湖泊
where it's effectively its own sealed ecosystem.
这是咸水湖 与大海相连
It's saltwater, it's connected to the sea,
但只是通过贯穿岩石的小孔洞相连
but it's only connected through small channels through the rock.
也就是说这里的海洋生物
So that means that the marine life in here
基本处于隔绝状态
is effectively isolated.
这是黄金水母
This is the Golden Jellyfish,
黄金水母
密克罗尼西亚
这个独特的亚种
a unique sub-species
仅存于帕劳共和国密克罗尼西亚的
only found in this one lake on this one island,
这座小岛上的这个湖中
in the tiny Micronesian Republic of Palau.
它们原本与大多数水母一样
They used to live like most jellyfish,
徜徉于辽阔的大海