More of 20 types amino acidsconsidered elementary molecules of life, have been detected in samples of the asteroide Ryugu brought to Earth by the Japanese space probe Hayabusa2 in December 2020 and whose analyzes continue.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan called the finding a major research achievement. In accordance with the Japanese medium, NHKan official report on the results is awaited.
What does the discovery of 20 amino acids in asteroid Ryugu mean?
It is the first time that the presence of amino acids in a asteroid found in space, according to Japanese authorities. According to the specialized medium, Medline Pluslos amino acids They are used by the human body for the following functions:
- break down food
- Growing up
- Repair body tissues
- Carry out many other bodily functions
The material serves to advance knowledge of the origin of the Solar System, find details about the formation of Ryugu 4.6 billion years ago and understand its affinity with carbonaceous chondrites, a type of meteorite thought to be linked to the origin of life in the universe and the presence of organic life on other planets.
There are several theories about the appearance of life on earth. Tierra. Some point out that it arose little by little from inorganic molecules that gave way to organic compounds such as amino acids, while others hypothesize that organic compounds could have arrived in asteroids.
How were the remains of the asteroid found?
After a journey of six years and 5.2 billion kilometers, the space probe Hayabusa2 dropped a container with a small amount of dust and gas from the asteroide Ryugu.
Hayabusa2, launched on a rocket in 2014, twice made contact with the surface of Ryugu in 2019 to collect the samples in a complex and historic operation.
The materials were not exposed to outside air and were not eroded by sunlight or cosmic rays. The first analyses, carried out in a laboratory of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) located in the town of Sagamihara, confirmed that the gas derived from the remote asteroid.