A new study published in the journal science advances suggests that the main elements of life on Earth could be formed in space. Scientists say that peptides, important molecules that play a key role in maintaining life, could arise in space and deliver to Earth with meteorites and comets.
The study confirms that peptides, complex organic compounds, can be formed from amino acids, basic “bricks” of life, under the influence of cosmic space. On Earth, the assembly process of these molecules would be difficult due to adverse environmental conditions.
Peptides are necessary for catalysis of reactions that support life, and can serve as a building material for the formation of protoed structures. As part of the study, scientists were able to imitate the conditions of space in the laboratory and show that although the formation of peptides in the presence of ice decreases, it still continues.
It is interesting that in the process of forming a solar system, such units as asteroids and comets are heated, which contributes to the formation of fluids in which the formation of peptides is accelerated. This leads to the natural selection of more complex organic molecules.
According to researchers, many of the main building blocks of life, including amino acids, lipids, and sugar, can form in a space environment. Amino acid findings in meteorites confirm this hypothesis.
The discovery strengthens the idea that the ingredients for life exist throughout the universe and that the conditions for the self-organization of these molecules in living organisms may not be so specific. This expands the possibilities of searching for extraterrestrial life and provides new directions for further studies of the origin of life on Earth and beyond.