Molecules of life found on an asteroid - fascinating science discovery. Did asteroids bring these molecules to Earth?

[cakeorwine]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7vd1zjlr5lo

Scientists have collected pieces of an asteroid called Bennu.

Analysing it revealed:

14 of the 20 amino acids that life on Earth uses to build proteins and all four of the ring-shaped molecules that make up DNA - adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine.

The study has also found an array of minerals and salts, suggesting water was once present on the asteroid. Ammonia, which is important for biochemical reactions, was discovered in the sample too.

This is fascinating - how did they form? Did the amino acids bond to form peptides?

I was under the impression that there was a "primordial soup" where basic chemicals reacted to form more complex molecules.

Having these molecules on an asteroid is fascinating.

That is fascinating, thanks for the link. I can't sleep and it sent me down a really interesting rabbit hole about asteroids which has kept me busy for a while!

The idea that asteroids were responsible for beginning life on earth has been a hypothesis for quite a while. Fascinating that they're finding evidence to support that.

Then of course there will be the questions about how those building blocks evolved on Earth, and why they didn't (or maybe they'll find even did) on the asteroids. Lack of water? No way of plants growing for food? Evolved to a tiny degree, as in the very first shoots of evolution here, but never got any further because of the above?

I think it's fascinating to try to understand how these molecules formed in the first place. Especially with the similar structure of amino acids and nucleotides.

It's always posed more questions than it's answered for me.

Maybe aliens are seeding the galaxy with life