Asteroid Ryugu rich in organic molecules, first sample analysis reveals

Organic molecules — those made of carbon combined with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and other atoms — are the building blocks of all known forms of life.

However, they can be created through non-biological reactions, and researchers believe that some organic compounds now on Earth may have originated in reactions out in space.

According to the researchers, the “prebiotic” organics found in the Ryugu samples contained several types of amino acids — compounds used as the building blocks of proteins by life on Earth.

The sample from the asteroid also contained various organic compounds that form in the presence of liquid water, including aliphatic amines, carboxylic acids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds.

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1739676/asteroid-ryugu-first-sample-analysis-rich-organic-molecules-nasa