Earth is the only planet in the universe that has life. Something gave our sterile rock the building blocks of life.
Before Earth could have a vital component in all life forms, it was necessary for the existence of the Amino Acids. Some scientists think meteorites may have brought the organic compounds to Earth.
The study supports the idea that meteorites helped establish life on Earth.
The study shows how a group of meteorites could make their own amino acids.
Pieces of debris left over from the Solar System's infancy are called meteorites. There are different types of meteorites.
Chondrules are spheres embedded with meteorites. Chondrules are among the oldest objects in the solar system.
Carbonaceous chondrites, a subcategory of chondrite that holds significant amounts of water and small molecule, may have been included in some of the early meteorite bombardments.
How did the ingredients of a meteorite get onto Earth?
The new study shows howchondrites are theoretically capable of making these compounds.
The researchers from Yokohama National University in Japan sought to resolve questions from previous lab experiments looking at the formation of amino acids on carbonaceouschondrites.
The results of those experiments show that ammonia and formaldehyde can be used to make amino acids, but only in the presence of heat and water. Researchers looked at the possibility of a heat source from the meteorite.
aluminum-26 is a radioactive element that can release radiation when it decays. Kebukawa and her colleagues wanted to find out if this could provide the heat needed to form a group of acids.
Researchers dissolved ammonia and formaldehyde in water, sealed the solution inside glass tubes, and then exposed the tubes to high-energy gamma rays from decayingcobalt-60.
When the dose of radiation increased, so did the production of -amino acids.
The presence of these amino acids on carbonaceous chondrites that have fallen to Earth could be explained by these.
The meteorite exploded in the sky over Murchison, Victoria, on September 28, 1969. People gathered fragments from the area after the event. Since then, it has become one of the most studied space rocks.
The meteorite was packed with a lot of acids. According to Museums Victoria, scientists have identified more than 70 acids from the meteorite, but only 19 of which are known from Earth.
Life on Earth's basic chemical building blocks can easily be found elsewhere.
In the new study, Kebukawa and her colleagues looked at how long it would take for a meteorite to form.
It would take between 1000 and 100,000 years for the amount of alanine and -alanine found on the Murchison meteorite to be generated.
Although we still have a lot to learn about abiogenesis, the researchers say this study shows how reactions sparked bygamma rays can produce amino acids on a meteorite, possibly contributing to the origin of life on Earth.
The study was published in a peer reviewed journal.
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