• booly@sh.itjust.works
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    24 days ago

    one that eats sulfur and excretes iron, and one that eats iron and excretes sulfur

    Thermodynamically, how could these two cycles sustain metabolism? Were there other processes/species in the mix to introduce chemical compounds that had more energy contained within?

    • weariedfae@lemmy.world
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      24 days ago

      I don’t recall as it was mentioned by someone in passing (and stuck with me) but I can tell you that the rocks they were in are exceptionally iron rich, which is why the mine was there.