New research postulates that basic amino acids could have “formed alongside stars or planets within interstellar ices.”
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Scientists have long been in the quest to uncover the source from which Earth obtained its essential ingredients of life.
Since the detection of organic molecules in a Murchison meteorite that landed in Australia in 1969, they have been captivated by the prospect that the fundamental components of life may have originated in outer space.
The question remains: Where and when did these crucial molecules come into existence before finding their way to Earth preserved within meteorites?
Now, new research postulates that fundamental amino acids, such as carbamic acid, could have "formed alongside stars or planets within interstellar ices."
Amino acids play a vital role in life as they are the fundamental building blocks of proteins, carrying out diverse functions within living organisms.
Model of interstellar ice reveals key details
Multiple theories propose scenarios explaining how Earth acquired the building blocks of life.
One predominant theory suggesting the origin of life centers on the concept of a "primordial soup." It basically refers to a mixture of organic molecules that may have evolved in Earth's early oceans as a result of the reaction of simple chemicals.
An alternate theory posits that meteorites could have delivered amino acids to the Earth's surface during its forming years.
As per the official release, these celestial bodies, or space rocks, could have accumulated the molecules from dust or interstellar ice, which consist of water and other gases frozen into solid form due to the extremely cold temperatures of outer space.
However, the mystery lies in the fact that since meteorites originated from distant regions in the universe, scientists are perplexed about the precise location of the formation of these molecules. The question remains: Where and when did these crucial molecules come into existence before finding their way to Earth preserved within meteorites?
The researchers from the University of Hawaii went on to obtain a better grasp of the situation, concentrating on the chemical processes that may have occurred in interstellar ices that were once present in the vicinity of newly forming stars and planets.
They created a model including interstellar ice containing ammonia and carbon dioxide to study this. These ices were then progressively heated after being put on a silver substrate.
The team employed Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to understand the interstellar ice better.
The formation of amino acids
The findings revealed that carbamic acid began to form at -348 degrees Fahrenheit, while ammonium carbamate initiated its formation at -389 degrees Fahrenheit.
"These low temperatures demonstrate that these molecules — which can turn into more complex amino acids — could have formed during the earliest, coldest stages of star formation," revealed the press release.
"In addition, the researchers found that at warmer temperatures, similar to those produced by a newly formed star, two carbamic acid molecules could link together, making a stable gas," the release added.
The team put forward a hypothesis suggesting that these molecules might have become part of the basic constituents of the solar system. After its formation, comets or meteorites, acting as cosmic deliverers, could have transported these molecules to early Earth.
The results could serve as valuable insights for training sophisticated telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope to explore distant, star-forming regions of the universe in search of prebiotic molecules.
