NASA Discovers Sugar Present In Meteorites That Fell To Earth
NASA – Scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had discovered sugars present in meteorites that crashed into the earth.
It’s been theorized that meteorites could reveal the key ingredients to creating life. Some even argue that life on earth began due to bacteria that were carried on these space rocks.
Now, there’s even more proof of the theory that meteorites that fell on the earth assisted in the origins of life. Scientists believed that these meteorites carried with them life’s essential building blocks.
In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, three separate meteorites were looked into. One landed in Australia in 1696 and dated back billions of years.
There were already previous attempts to study meteors for sugar. However, now, scientists used a different method that used hydrochloric acid and water.
Not only did the researchers discover bio-essential sugars like arabinose and xylose, they also discovered ribose. This is a key ingredient of human biology that is a crucial part of the RNA.
Scientists had a common belief that RNA developed first and was then replaced with DNA. This was because RNA molecules had the capacity that DNA lacked.
The research provides the first direct evidence of ribose in space and the delivery of the sugar to Earth. The extraterrestrial sugar might have contributed to the formation of RNA on the prebiotic Earth which possibly led to the origin of life.
NASA
Adding to this, back in January 2018, studies showed other key components in meteors. These include amino acids, hydrocarbons, organic matter, and traces of liquid water.
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