A new study published in Nature Astronomy has confirmed that the asteroid Ryugu contains all five fundamental nucleobases, the molecular “letters” of life. These molecules are essential for genetic information and were previously found only in meteorites and asteroids. The discovery suggests that these life-related ingredients may have been common across the young Solar System.
Researchers extracted organic molecules from Ryugu samples using water and hydrochloric acid, and then purified them for further detection. They found all five nucleobases – adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil – in roughly similar amounts. This finding aligns with previous results on space rocks, such as the Murchison meteorite and Orgueil meteorite.
The Ryugu samples were collected directly from space and protected from Earth’s contamination, providing a clear view of ancient Solar System chemistry. The discovery suggests that the molecular ingredients of life may have already been forming in space billions of years ago. Asteroids like Ryugu may have delivered those ingredients to early Earth, making the origin of life part of a larger cosmic chemical story.
The study’s results also suggest that carbon-rich asteroids throughout the Solar System contain diverse prebiotic chemistry. However, the precise mixture of molecules varies depending on the asteroid’s chemical environment and history. The discovery of nucleobases on Ryugu provides insight into how life’s molecular ingredients may have formed and existed across the Solar System.
The findings have significant implications for our understanding of the origin of life. As scientists continue to explore asteroids and meteorites, they may uncover more material with similar characteristics. This could lead to a deeper understanding of how life emerged on Earth and whether it was born in space or on our planet.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-just-found-all-5-genetic-letters-of-dna-and-rna-on-an-asteroid