“Like a crystal,” says Leavitt. “Well, gentlemen: there’s our answer.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“To what?” asks Hall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“How Andromeda functions without amino acids,” replies Leavitt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Crystalline structure,” says Stone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Yes,” says Leavitt. “I’ve often thought that living matter might be based on crystals of some kind. All these wedge-shaped compartments? They’d serve to separate biochemical functions very well.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As they watch the screen, the Andromeda cell folds itself into a more complex shape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s dividing!” says Dutton. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“In a vacuum?” says Stone. “Bombarded by electrons?” It shouldn’t even be alive!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“That’s what I wanted to tell you,” says Leavitt. “The growth program shows that Andromeda could live on anything. Only gas and light affect it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“You didn’t get any no-growth results on the cultures?” asks Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“None,” says Leavitt, walking to the console. She pushes two buttons and brings up two maps of the Petri dishes. “Look – the poorest growth occurs in pure oxygen, incubated under infrared light. Andromeda grows best in carbon dioxide and hydrogen, incubated under x-rays.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“No excretions,” says Dutton. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Not cells?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":699,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"http:\/\/www.andromedaminute.com\/cm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/as109.mp3","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"24:06","filesize":"22.59M","date_recorded":"25-01-2021","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"23683610"},"tags":[],"series":[4,11],"episode_featured_image":"http:\/\/www.andromedaminute.com\/cm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/as109.jpg","episode_player_image":"http:\/\/www.andromedaminute.com\/cm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/AndromedaCover1400.jpg","download_link":"http:\/\/www.andromedaminute.com\/cm\/podcast-download\/801\/minute-109-crystalline-structure.mp3","player_link":"http:\/\/www.andromedaminute.com\/cm\/podcast-player\/801\/minute-109-crystalline-structure.mp3","audio_player":"\n