Meteorite bombardment of planets contributes to the birth of life

Czech scientists conducted laboratory experiments that showed how the bombardment of the planet with numerous meteorites and comets could lead to the birth of life. Recreating the harsh conditions of bombardment with a laser, scientists simultaneously obtained adenine, guanine, cytosine and uracil - four organic compounds in RNA - a molecule that encodes genetic information.

Scientists have long been looking for ways that lead to the creation of simple compounds "molecules of life" RNA and DNA (in the latter instead of uracil contains thymine). The discovery of these methods can lead to an understanding of how life began. About this study tells the magazine ScienceMag one of the group members, Swatopluk Sivish from the Institute of Physical Chemistry of Prague.


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Sivish explained that, recently, scientists are studying the assumption that the building blocks of life could come from a chemically simple compound of formamide , resulting from the reaction of hydrogen cyanide with water. This compound is abundant in the early stages of the development of the Earth, and it has everything you need to create organic molecules: hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon and oxygen.

The value of the new study is that all components of RNA were obtained in one reaction. Heating a mixture of formamide with clay, simulating the early state of the planet, and subjecting it to ultra-high pressure, temperatures and ultraviolet radiation and X-rays using ultra-high-speed laser pulses, scientists received exactly the situation that occurs when a large celestial body hits the planet.

Some previous studies show that adeine and guanine are already contained in meteorites, which could carry them to Earth with them. But now it turns out that these compounds could be made right on the spot - says Rafael Saladino from the University of the Italian province of Viterbo.

It is known that in one of the periods the formation of the Solar System of the planet was subjected to constant bombardment by meteorites of various sizes. This period was called the “ Late Heavy Bombardment ” and lasted from 4.1 to 3.8 billion years ago. It turns out that this attack from space could not sterilize the beginnings of life on the planet, as some scientists believed, but on the contrary, contribute to its appearance. Perhaps the truth is, the Universe is set up so that life is constantly born in it.