News / Society

Life originated in deep space near dying stars, scientists say

Wednesday, 06 May 2015 11:15 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 07 May 2015 1:01 AM ]

A composite image of an energetic star explosion taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in March 1997. (NASA Photo)

The key elements of the chemical foundations of life exist only in the carbon-rich environment surrounding dying stars, scientists say.

Scientists at Berkeley Lab’s Department of Energy's Advanced Light Source used an instrument called a hot nozzle to recreate chemical reactions at extremely high temperatures — similar to those found around dying stars.

“This is the first time anyone’s looked at a hot reaction like this,” said Berkeley Lab’s Musahid Ahmed in a press release on May 5.

Researchers had already discovered the basic chemical bonds needed to build DNA, but the origins of the carbon rings that constitute the nucleobases, which are the main elements of RNA and DNA, were unknown until now.

These rings, which are supplemented with nitrogen atoms, hold together the double helix structure of the DNA.

*The atoms in the structure of the DNA double helix are color-coded by element and the detailed structure of two base pairs is shown in the bottom right. (Wikipedia)*

The double helix structure is formed by double-stranded molecules of nucleic acids such as DNA.

Via the hot nozzle, the scientists injected a gas containing a combination of a nitrogen-embedded single ringed carbon molecule and two acetylene molecules.

The extreme heat of the nozzle, some 700 degrees Kelvin, caused a series of reactions that lead to the formation of two nitrogen-containing ring molecules named quinolone and isoquinoline.

“There's an energy barrier for this reaction to take place, and you can exceed that barrier near a star or in our experimental setup," added Ahmed. "This suggests that we can start looking for these molecules around stars now."

The team said that these nitrogen-enriched carbon rings are probably blown out into interstellar space via solar winds, after formation.

SRK/AS/MHB

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

DNA