Sci/Tech Building Blocks of DNA Found in Meteorites from Space

[The Helper]

The components of DNA have now been confirmed to exist in extraterrestrial meteorites, researchers announced.

A different team of scientists also discovered a number of molecules linked with a vital ancient biological process, adding weight to the idea that the earliest forms of life on Earth may have been made up in part from materials delivered to Earth the planet by from space.

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.

Investigators have also found nucleobases, key ingredients of DNA, in meteorites before. However, it has been very difficult to prove that these molecules are not contamination from sources on Earth.

Building Blocks of DNA Found in Meteorites from Space

Molecules that are building blocks for DNA now have a confirmed extraterrestrial origin in meteorites.

www.space.com

 

[Lyerae]

That's pretty cool.

 

[LurkerAspect]

I'm sure we've had this one before, I remember making a reference to Spore when it came up

 

[FireCat]

Oh crap. This may be the closest to "alien life"?

 

[Jindo]

I'm sure we've had this one before, I remember making a reference to Spore when it came up

Me too, but I think it was about a meteorite that impacted on Earth instead or something.

 

[sqrage]

Well just because the blocks are there doesn't mean anything is going to be built.

 

[xPass]

Yay, building blocks!! Err, wait...

 

[Dan]

If you rip a cell open and put all the contents into a suitable mixture and give it perfect conditions to reassemble, they do not miraculously reassemble into new cells. Interesting factoid. There, in fact, seems to be no way to make conditions persist so that they would. I suppose this is an interesting find, however.

 

[The Helper]

Cool News!