<p>New insights into a tiny, tough microbe have huge implications for the search for life beyond Earth</p>
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, and potential for life in the universe. It combines elements of biology, chemistry, and astronomy to explore how life might arise on other planets and the conditions necessary for its existence.
Panspermia is a hypothesis that suggests life on Earth may have originated from microorganisms or chemical precursors of life present in outer space, which were transported to Earth via comets, asteroids, or meteoroids.