Natural Healthy
The relationship between hydrogen gas and life is surprisingly close. During a recent conference in Hainan, I had a conversation with Professor Shen Wenbiao from Nanjing Agricultural University. He mentioned that almost all studied plants can produce hydrogen gas. New rice grains can continuously produce hydrogen gas for several months until they become very dry. Removing the outer shell of rice grains results in a loss of hydrogen production, indicating that hydrogen gas production originates from the outer shell tissue of rice grains.
The key information I gathered is that virtually all plants can produce hydrogen gas. My personal speculation is that animal cells should also be capable of producing hydrogen gas. Furthermore, I hypothesize that animal cells both produce and utilize hydrogen gas simultaneously, akin to mitochondria continuously producing ATP while also utilizing ATP. Although the quantity may be substantial, the net surplus is limited, leading to the long-standing belief that animal cells neither produce nor utilize hydrogen gas. The relationship between animal cells and hydrogen gas is remarkably intricate.
Firstly, considering the current research evidence, hydrogen gas has a powerful effect on eukaryotic cells. Numerous studies have found that hydrogen gas has a robust protective effect on animal cells. It profoundly influences mitochondrial function and can even enhance ATP production. Today's biomedical research on hydrogen gas indicates therapeutic effects on various diseases at the organismal level, including humans.
Until now, the foundation of life on Earth remains microorganisms. Without microorganisms, plants cannot establish roots and struggle to grow. Animals cannot digest food properly without microorganisms. The ecological chain cannot function correctly, and large animal and plant remains cannot be effectively decomposed into environmental components for recycling without microorganisms. Microorganisms face challenging survival conditions, such as nutrient and energy shortages, especially many soil microorganisms. Yet, these microorganisms have developed survival strategies in extreme environments. For example, many soil microorganisms are adept at utilizing trace amounts of hydrogen gas. In extreme conditions like drought, high temperature, and extreme cold, as long as air is present, hydrogen gas exists. Although the quantity is small, due to the omnipresence and high energy density of hydrogen gas, it serves as a crucial foundation for these microorganisms to survive.
Secondly, considering the evolutionary perspective, according to the theory of evolution, all life evolves gradually from lower to higher forms. Life on Earth can be broadly categorized into two major groups: non-cellular viruses and cellular life. Cellular life consists of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, with recent research suggesting that prokaryotes include bacteria and archaea. Bacteria are considered more primitive, while archaea are believed to have given rise to eukaryotic cells. Interestingly, the common ancestor of all eukaryotic life, including fungi, animals, and plants, emerged from a symbiotic relationship between archaea and bacteria. The archaea provided the cellular foundation, and the bacteria were engulfed by the archaea, later evolving into the mitochondria. According to this evolutionary logic, as about 80% of bacteria and archaea have the potential to metabolize hydrogen, and archaea, considered the ancestors of eukaryotic cells, are known to be methane-producing bacteria capable of utilizing hydrogen. The ancestral bacteria of mitochondria were alpha-proteobacteria capable of producing hydrogen. In summary, bacteria and archaea, as direct ancestors of eukaryotes, are hydrogen metabolizers. Therefore, all eukaryotic cells, including animals, plants, and fungi, descend from these ancient bacteria capable of hydrogen metabolism.
All eukaryotic cells, including animals, plants, and fungi, owe their existence to the appearance of mitochondria. The widely accepted view in the academic community is that mitochondria originated from alpha-proteobacteria, with today's pathogenic bacterium Rickettsia being a close relative. Astonishingly, the core complex I of the electron transport chain in mitochondria and bacterial hydrogenases belong to homologous molecules. It can be said that mitochondria are ancient bacteria capable of hydrogen metabolism. All eukaryotic life, including animals, plants, and fungi, belongs to the descendants of these ancient bacteria capable of hydrogen metabolism. Therefore, all eukaryotic cells with mitochondria have the potential for hydrogen metabolism, which includes both hydrogen production and utilization.
In conclusion, animal cells, like plant cells, also have the potential for hydrogen metabolism, or they inherently possess the ability to metabolize hydrogen, which has been overlooked by us as a capability.
Thirdly, considering the perspective of the origin of life, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution provides us with the evolutionary laws of life in the natural world, primarily derived from the study of non-microorganisms. However, microorganisms are the largest and most numerous components of life on Earth, serving as the foundation for maintaining ecological balance. According to current views, the evolution of microorganisms is the more critical process in the evolution of Earth's life. The more important question is the most primitive origin of life on Earth. In other words, how did life emerge from non-living matter and through what processes?
There are numerous hypotheses about the origin of life. Some are more reasonable and widely recognized. Life's origin dates back to the early Earth, approximately 4.6 billion years ago. At that time, the Earth's environment was extremely unstable and filled with various factors unfavorable for life. However, life's origin eventually occurred through a series of processes. Initially, these life forms might have been very simple organic molecules, such as amino acids, sugars, and nucleotides. These molecules could have combined in the early Earth's environment, forming more complex organic molecules and eventually giving rise to structures resembling cells. These structures are called prokaryotic cells and represent a crucial node in the origin and evolution of life.
The classic Miller-Urey experiment in 1952 showed that most amino acids (the chemical components of proteins) could be synthesized from inorganic compounds under conditions intended to replicate the early Earth. External energy sources might have triggered these reactions, including lightning, radiation, micro-meteorites entering the atmosphere, and the internal bursting of bubbles in seawater. Other methods, such as the metabolism-first hypothesis, focus on understanding how catalytic processes in the early Earth's chemical system provided the precursor molecules necessary for self-replication.
One thing is very clear: 4.6 billion years ago, hydrogen gas comprised a significant proportion of the Earth's atmospheric composition. Hydrogen gas was previously considered an ordinary participant in chemical reactions. Now it appears that hydrogen gas is indispensable for the synthesis of organic compounds on Earth. In other words, life's foundation and conditions for emergence were established because of hydrogen gas.
In summary, whether from today's research evidence, the origin of Earth's life, or the evolution of complex life on Earth, hydrogen gas has never been absent and is an essential participant. Therefore, hydrogen gas is the most important catalyst for life and the guardian of life on Earth.
Currently, there is no clear evidence for the synthesis and utilization of hydrogen gas by animal cells. If this phenomenon can be conclusively demonstrated through evidence and comprehensively analyzed at the molecular level, this research will elevate the biological significance of hydrogen gas to a very high level. Of course, the contributors to this research will leave a significant mark in the history of life science or modern scientific history.
