B.7A Did Life Come from Outer Space? level 6.7 – 03

 

Scientists have found all the bases except cytosine and thymine. But recently cytosine and thymine have also been found in meteorite samples. These bases are very fragile. Scientists use a hot water bath and formic acid to separate the molecules found in the meteorite. This process could have destroyed very delicate molecules like cytosine and thymine.

Researchers have used a new method to gently separate the compounds found in the samples. They used cooled water in place of hot water. The analysis methods were more sensitive. These new processes can trace small samples in the solution. The use of a gentler method kept the compounds intact.

The same approach has been used to find ribose. Ribose is an important part of RNA. Scientists have found ribose and other sugars in samples of meteorites. Tests have shown that the compounds in these meteorites most likely came from space. Laboratory experiments have shown that ribose could have formed in ice grains found in outer space.

Scientists are working hard to prove that all these compounds came from outer space. Researchers have found isomers of the nucleobases in meteorites. An isomer has the same formula but the elements are arranged in different way. The isomers have been found only in the meteorites. They were not found in the soil. So, the researchers think that these compounds were formed in the meteorite.

What would you do to prove that something came from one specific place? You would probably go to the source and find examples of that item. Right? That is exactly what is being done today.

Samples collected from the surface of asteroids Ryugu and Bennu will help us to understand the role of meteorites. Since these samples are directly from the asteroid, they will not have any contamination from the soil found on Earth. This could show that asteroids may have brought the ingredients of life to Earth.

So, next time you look at the night sky and see a shooting star, just think, that life on Earth could have had its beginning somewhere out there in space. Isn’t that exciting!!