Story perspectives
Deep-Sea Worm Converts Arsenic to Survive Toxic Vents
8/28/2025
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Story summary
- A study in PLOS Biology details how the deep-sea worm Paralvinella hessleri survives toxic hydrothermal vents by converting arsenic and sulfide into orpiment.
- This adaptation enables the worm to thrive in environments where arsenic can exceed 1% of its body weight.
- Researchers employed advanced microscopy and chemical analyses to uncover this detoxification process.
