Scientists have gathered new evidence substantiating the 'possibility of life forms' on planet mars. University of Hawaii (UH) researchers have discovered high levels of boron in a Martian meteorite found in Antarctica during 2009-10 field season.
Scientists believe that Boron plays a key role in the development of ribonucleic acid, or RNA. RNA is a biological molecule, which is considered to be the one of the main components that led to the creation of life on earth. Similar to deoxyribonucleic acid/DNA, RNA can store and transmit information to cells.
"It's the unique size of the boron which is able to stabilize the ribose ring structure. No other element has been shown to have that effect," James Stephenson, a biologist with the NASA Astrobiology Institute at UH said.
RNA comprises of three basic components: phosphate, a ribose, which is a five-carbon sugar, and a nucleobase. Both phosphates and nucleobases have been found in Martian meteorites previously, whereas Ribose has never been found further than Earth. Hence, the presence of boron in the meteorite for the first time confirms the possibility of life on mars.
When the UH scientists examined the meteorite after it was found, they did not find any significant results. They claim that over the years, the boron's concentration has increased. The element's traces rose from two to three parts per million to 200 parts per million, stating the possibility of creating life from the clay.
"It was a surprise for all of us. We were basically thinking of giving up. We'd been working like 15-hour days on this machine and not finding anything and we were ready to pack up and leave when we got this result, so then we carried on through the night," Stephenson said.
This discovery gives further evidence of similarity between Earth and Mars. The discovery of boron in the meteorite gives credence to the fact that we might even have shared a similar atmospheric chemistry with polar caps and changing climate.
"The Martian clay we studied is thought to be up to 700 million years old. The recycling of the Earth's crust via plate tectonics has left no evidence of clays this old on our planet; hence Martian clays could provide essential information regarding environmental conditions on the early Earth," said UHNAI cosmochemist Lydia Hallis.
