DNA Components Found on Asteroid... Strengthening the Theory of Extraterrestrial Origin of Earth Life Forms

The discovery of amino acids and key components of DNA on the asteroid 'Bennu' has sparked interest in the theory of the cosmic origin of life on Earth.

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On the 29th (local time), according to US CNN and UK BBC broadcasts, an international research team including NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center announced these research results in a paper published in the international scientific journal Nature Astronomy.

Bennu is an asteroid estimated to have formed 4.5 billion years ago.

According to the research, analysis of rocks and dust collected from Bennu's surface by NASA's asteroid explorer 'OSIRIS-REx' in 2020 revealed thousands of organic molecular compounds, including 33 types of amino acids.

Among the 33 types of amino acids, 14 were types that can be used for protein synthesis, while the remaining 19 were rare or previously unknown types.

The collected samples also contained the five bases that make up nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA: adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil, and were rich in nitrogen and ammonia.

Dr. Daniel Glavin, the lead author of the paper, said, "It is very interesting as it suggests that asteroids like Bennu act as huge chemical factories in space and can deliver the raw materials for life to various celestial bodies in the solar system, including Earth."

This statement is interpreted as considering the possibility that asteroids or fragments of asteroids fell to Earth and created life.

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