"The Ryugu samples contain the five building blocks of DNA and RNA. This suggests these nucleobases were widespread in the early solar system, supporting the hypothesis that carbonaceous asteroids like Ryugu transported them to Earth."
"Ammonia was discovered in the samples as well, which may play a role in how these nucleobases formed. The presence of these building blocks indicates that primitive asteroids could produce and preserve molecules important for the chemistry related to the origin of life."
Samples from the asteroid Ryugu returned by Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft revealed the presence of five nucleobases essential for DNA and RNA. This discovery supports the idea that these building blocks were common in the early solar system and may have been delivered to Earth by carbonaceous asteroids. Additionally, ammonia found in the samples could be significant in the formation of these nucleobases. The findings enhance understanding of the conditions that may have led to the emergence of life on Earth billions of years ago.
Read at Engadget
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