Key Takeaways:
- 1. Samples from asteroid Bennu contain organic molecules, including amino acids used by life on Earth.
- 2. The study suggests that prebiotic organic molecules could have been delivered to early Earth via asteroid impacts.
- 3. The detection of the amino acid tryptophan in Bennu samples could indicate the presence of complex organic molecules in extraterrestrial objects.
Samples returned from asteroid Bennu by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission have revealed a rich collection of organic molecules, including amino acids and nucleobases. The study suggests that these prebiotic organic molecules could have contributed to the origins of life on Earth. Additionally, the potential detection of the amino acid tryptophan in Bennu samples hints at the presence of complex organic molecules in space. The analysis also shows that Bennu is not chemically uniform, indicating a complex evolutionary history across different environments.
Insight: The study highlights the importance of sample-return missions in capturing the full range of prebiotic compounds in space and understanding the chemical makeup of celestial bodies like Bennu.
This article was curated by memoment.jp from the feed source: The Debrief.
Read the original article here: https://thedebrief.org/scienstists-reveal-samples-from-near-earth-asteroid-bennu-hold-a-rich-collection-of-life-giving-ingredients/
© All rights belong to the original publisher.
