Could life develop above a planet's atmosphere?

Imagine a planet with extremely low density, and thus low gravity and an equivalently thin atmosphere, but a very active and strong magnetosphere that prevents solar radiation from destroying complex molecules or stripping the remaining atmosphere away. Imagine that, as much as the previous statements allow, it's earth-like - readily available organic-molecule building blocks, in the star's habitable zone, and liquid water. Now imagine that the very basics of life drop on this planet from a comet or something - basic self-replicating molecules, no more. Given these conditions, could life somehow extend itself to grow above the upper reaches of the planet's atmosphere (i.e. plantlike structures with "stems" or "trunks" outside the atmosphere, and more mobile life living in the "branches"), and what would it look like?

posted over 6 years ago

Jacob‭

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