Endolith

[2] Normally, the endoliths colonize the areas within lithic substrates to withstand intense solar radiation, temperature fluctuations, wind, and desiccation.

[3] They are of particular interest to astrobiologists, who theorize that endolithic environments on Mars and other planets constitute potential refugia for extraterrestrial microbial communities.

There are reports in warm hyper-arid and arid deserts such as Mojave and Sonora (USA), Atacama (Chile), Gobi (China, Mongolia), Negev (Israel), Namib (Namibia Angola), Al-Jafr basin (Jordan) and the Depression of Turpan (China),[7][8] also in cold deserts as Arctic and Antarctic,[9] and deep subsoil and ocean trenches rocks.

[18] Additionally, the presence of pigments, especially in cyanobacteria and some algae, such as; beta carotenes and chlorophyll help them to protect against dangerous radiation and act as a way to obtain energy.

Discovery of endolithic fungi, such as Dodgella priscus and Conchyliastrum, has also been made in the beach sand of Australia by George Zembrowski.

The infestation of phototrophic endoliths resulted in lethal and sub-lethal effects such as the decrease in strength of the mussel shells.

[31] In these extreme environments, microorganisms find protection against thermal buffering, UV radiation, and desiccation while living inside pores and fissures of minerals and rocks.

[8][4] Life in these endolithic habitats might face similar stress due to the scarcity of water and high UV radiation that rule on modern Mars.

[18] An excellent example of these adaptations is the non-hygroscopic but microporous translucent gypsum crusts, which are found as potential substrates that can mitigate exposure to UV radiation and desiccation and allow microbial colonization in hyper-arid deserts.

There is evidence of the past existence of water on the red planet; perhaps, these microorganisms could develop adaptations found in current deserts on the Earth.

Furthermore, The endolithic structures are a good way to find ancient or current biological activity (biosignatures) on Mars or other rocky planets.

The manga and anime Land of the Lustrous revolves around characters composed of gems given life by endolithic inclusions.