© NASA/ESAA Hubble Space Telescope image of what is thought to be a head-on collision between two asteroids travelling five times faster than a rifle bullet. The collision created a meteorite that was found to contain amino acids
Scientists have analysed meteorites that formed billions of years ago before falling to Earth.
The carbon-rich fragments were found to contain chemicals similar to one of the key components of DNA, the building blocks of life.
Tests show that the presence of these chemicals cannot be explained away by Earthly contamination, suggesting DNA's origins may lie in outer space.
The find comes from U.S. scientists, predominantly Nasa researchers, who analysed the chemical make-up of 12 meteorites.
Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers said their find has 'far-reaching implications'.
© PALife from outer space? Scientists studying meteorites like this one say that they could have brought the building blocks of life to Earth
Previous studies found meteorites harbour the other two of the three basic ingredients of life.
These are amino acids, the 'beads' that form proteins when strung together, and chemicals needed to allow cells to create a membrane barrier. The chemicals in DNA are the third.
© PAMeteor shower: Life on this planet could have its origins in a cosmic event
the idea of panspermia [Link]has been around, at least in written form, for hundreds of years
the possibility of it is common sense
what may be disconcerting is - why the interest and articles now? surely no space debris will land in the near future that will contain vilulent bacteria, right?