Today, Mars remains an extremely hostile place for life. The latest research on the Red Planet suggests, however, that although no traces of life have been found there today, conditions in the past may have favoured its emergence. The mystery may lie hidden in Martian rocks, which could have preserved complex chemistry for about 3.5 billion years despite the planet\u2019s radiation, cold and dryness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did life ever exist on Mars? Recently, scientists came a little closer to solving that puzzle. NASA\u2019s Curiosity rover examined a sample from the Mary Anning area in the Glen Torridon region<\/strong>. It was there that an experiment revealed the presence of various organic molecules, including compounds important to the chemistry of life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The results, published<\/a> in Nature Communications<\/em>, confirmed that these molecules do not prove ancient life. They may, however, help scientists better understand whether Mars once had conditions favourable to its emergence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of these compounds contains nitrogen<\/strong>. Its structure resembles those involved in building DNA. That sounds intriguing, but it requires caution: the robot did not find DNA or the remains of organisms. NASA\u2019s Curiosity rover<\/a> also detected benzothiophene, an organic compound containing sulphur and fused rings.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n These discoveries on Mars do not allow scientists to determine clearly whether the newly identified compounds may be connected with ancient life on the planet. They may have formed through natural geological processes, or they may have been delivered by meteorites that struck the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further research is needed, preferably on Earth, to determine the origin of these compounds more precisely. Professor Amy Williams, one of the authors of the study, dampens the excitement. In her view, similar organic compounds may have reached Mars with meteorites<\/a><\/strong>, just as they reached the young Earth, where they may have delivered elements needed for the development of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same things that were raining down on Mars by way of meteorites were also raining down on Earth and probably delivered the building blocks of life as we know it on our planet,<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n said Dr Amy J. Williams, one of the study\u2019s authors, quoted by ScienceDaily<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA trace similar to DNA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Where did these compounds come from: life or meteorites?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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