Organic molecular material previously unforeseen accident found recently in the United States last fall scientists in the California meteorite fragments.
Was found in the presence of organic matter from a meteorite fragments called "Sutter mill" (Sutter's Mill) meteorites, in 2012 April, this meteor California, lit up the night sky. The meteorite crashed in the event of meteorites collected debris or puzzles will help researchers uncover the origin of life on earth first.
Those across the night sky meteor is usually composed of asteroid debris into the earth's atmosphere and combustion, most asteroids in the solar system are operated between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter region. The meteorite may contain a lot of organic matter, including some widely exists in the compounds of life on the planet.
Sandra Pizarrero (Sandra Pizzarello) is a biochemist, Arizona State University in the United States, she said: "so people always assume the earliest life on earth possible generating mechanisms and from outside the earth substances brought about. Because of our earth's early understood the problem of the origin of life knowledge, so it has value."
Pizza Ray Lo and her colleagues two pieces of debris on the "Sutter mill" meteorites are analyzed. In the United States last year after the meteorite fall in California, some pieces of the meteorite is collected and distributed to those who had previously on similar types of meteorites analysis work of scientific research personnel, including Pizza Ray Lo.
Through the help of solvent, organic chemicals in the meteorite debris can be extracted. There is a theory that living matter on earth most early is generated from a so-called "primordial soup", this is the solution rich in organic molecules, the researchers believe the organic matter is brought by many. Compared with similar types of meteorites, after solvent extraction, apparently "soluble organic compounds containing debris Sutter mill" meteorite in the relatively less. Pizza Ray Lo said: "you might say it is disappointing."
However, the researchers then attempts to simulate these clastic substances present in the earth around hydrothermal vents environment condition, this kind of environment is the Earth early once widespread, is that scientists are most early life may be born. In this condition, the researchers found that the meteorite fragments began to release some previously in other meteorites have never been detected organic molecules. This finding implies that the organic matter brought to earth by a pathway may be far more than scientists had estimated.
The general study of the origin of life scientists tend to think that soluble compounds must first somehow from agglomeration, then can occur with each other, this is a bit like cell wall or membrane to the cytoplasm in the play the role of. Organic molecules and the researchers found that the "Sutter mill" meteorite fragments is very consistent with this mechanism required, which can form a closed structure preliminary to trap those of biological evolution useful compounds. On the discovery of papers have been published in the September 9th issue of "National Academy of Sciences report".