tech
March 17, 2026
SAMPLES from asteroid Ryugu contain key elements of DNA and RNA: Here's why it's important for our HISTORY
Samples collected from asteroid 162173 Ryugu contain all five nucleotide bases that participate in the formation of DNA and RNA, a team of scientists announced.
TL;DR
- Samples from asteroid 162173 Ryugu contain all five nucleotide bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, uracil) crucial for DNA and RNA.
- The findings come from an analysis of samples collected during Japan's Hayabusa 2 mission.
- The ratio of purines to pyrimidines in Ryugu's samples was approximately equal, unlike other analyzed asteroids.
- The presence of these compounds suggests their widespread distribution in the Solar System.
- This supports the hypothesis that carbon-rich asteroids could have seeded early Earth with the building blocks for life.
- Asteroid Ryugu was discovered in 1999 and has a diameter of about 0.92 kilometers.