Researchers from NASA and Tohoku University in Japan have found ribose and other essential sugars in two carbon rich meteorites, NASA reported. Ribose is an important part of RNA, which provides a new idea for exploring the origin of human beings.
The main author of the research paper, Yoshio Guchuan of Northeastern University, said: "scientists have previously found other important elements of life in meteorites, including amino acids (components of proteins) and nuclear bases (components of DNA and RNA), but sugar has always been & lsquo; Fish in the net & rsquo;. This study provides the first direct evidence for the transport of ribose and sugar from space to the earth. Extraterrestrial sugars may have contributed to the formation of RNA on early Earth, leading to the emergence of life on earth. "
The team used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze powdered samples of meteorites and found these sugars. The researchers also determined that the meteorites were not contaminated by earth materials, and the detected sugar came from space.