Cyanide compounds discovered in meteorites may hold clues to the origin of life

Cyanide and carbon monoxide are both deadly poisons to humans, but compounds containing iron, cyanide, and carbon monoxide discovered in carbon-rich meteorites by a team of scientists at Boise State University and NASA may have helped power life on early Earth. The extraterrestrial compounds found in meteorites resemble the active site of hydrogenases, which are enzymes that provide energy to bacteria and archaea by breaking down hydrogen gas (H2). Their results suggest that these compounds were also present on early Earth, before life began, during a period of time when Earth was constantly bombarded by meteorites and the atmosphere was likely more hydrogen-rich.

from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2IMxijX

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Seismic study reveals key reason why Patagonia is rising as glaciers melt

New method to detect and visualize sperm cells recovered from forensic evidence