Extraterrestrial
DNA building blocks found in meteorites
By
T.K. RandallAugust 10, 2011 ·
51 comments
Image Credit: NASA/JPL
Scientists have confirmed that components of DNA have been found in meteorites from space.
The discovery significantly forwards the idea that the building blocks of life arrived on Earth from elsewhere and that these components could be commonplace throughout the universe. "Finding nucleobase compounds not typically found in Earth's biochemistry strongly supports an extraterrestrial origin," says study co-author Jim Cleaves.
Past research had revealed a range of building blocks of life in meteorites, such as the amino acids that make up proteins. Space rocks just like these may have been a vital source of the organic compounds that gave rise to life on Earth.
Source:
Live Science |
Comments (51)
Tags:
Please Login or Register to post a comment.