The article written by Veronique Greenwood describes how scientists have recently discovered a bacterium that can derive energy by consuming caffeine, essentially making the phrase, "living on caffeine," literal.
In may scientist discovered that a new bacterium could live for several months off of just caffeine and why humans can't. In the article, Veronique Greenwood states, "it sparked many tongue-in-cheek headlines and ledes. "Bacteria survives on caffeine (like me)." "If you can’t live without a cup of coffee…" "Think you live on caffeine?" It all came down to one simple question... Why can't humans live on caffeine? Humans can't live in caffeine because while it will keep you energized and going for awhile it doesn't give off any energy so eventually you would be so tired you just couldn't go on.
Pseudomonas putida, the be bacteria, doesn't have the same problem humans do. In the article it reads "Pseudomonas putida CBB5, and several related bacteria that scientists have known about for years, who get all the calories they need from it."-[Caffeine]. The bacterium doesn't need the calories that humans need so getting just enough energy for them is alright.
Veronica states, "The specific reason caffeine isn’t an energy source for us, thus, is that we don’t have the gear to digest derivatives further." Living on on caffeine could be a total possibility if not foe the fact that our bodys are lacking in what they can digest, the new bacteria however hangs on to the caffeine and keep going going going off it.
While reading this article, I started to remember something I read in Biology about Anaerobic organism, Anaerobic organisms can live for year without oxygen, at the time there were many questions sparked about why humans can't live without oxygen.
In conclusion, Veronique Greenwood tells us of the possibilities of someday maybe being able to live off caffeine but not right now.
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