Specimen 340 million km from Earth reveals mysteries about the origin of life

What is the origin of life on Earth? Did life originate on this planet itself or from distant places in the universe?

Evolution and Unsolved Mysteries

According to the "theory of evolution", a theory accepted by many scientists today, life on Earth has developed over billions of years from simple to more complex life forms. However, despite the widespread acceptance of this theory, there are still many important gaps in evidence at crucial stages, and the process of life's formation from simple cells to complex organisms is not fully understood.

The theory of evolution recognizes that life on Earth has developed over billions of years from simple to more complex life forms. (Illustration)

Biologists believe that humans are part of the evolutionary chain on Earth. However, many other forms of life existed much earlier than humans, and their origin is a big question. Organic cells – the basis of life – are believed to have arisen from elements naturally present on Earth such as hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water. These elements, under the influence of ultraviolet light and other natural elements, created amino acids, the essential components of life.

Amino Acids: The Key to Life

Amino acids play an important role in the creation of living cells, and from there, complex organisms. However, the process of how these initial elements form organic cells remains a great mystery. Currently, scientists can only hypothesize and use some evidence to support their theories, but cannot simulate this complex process due to technological limitations.

New discovery from asteroid: A step forward in research on the origin of life

A major step forward in the study of the origin of life came from the asteroid exploration of the Japanese probe Hayabusa2. Hayabusa2 brought back samples from an asteroid 340 million kilometers from Earth. These samples, weighing only about 5.4 grams, gave scientists a new look at the connection between organic elements and the formation of living cells.

In June 2022, Japan's Asahi Shimbun reported that more than 20 different amino acids had been found in samples from an asteroid. This is a significant discovery, as amino acids are essential for the formation of life. Finding them on an asteroid suggests that the elements necessary for life may exist not only on Earth, but also elsewhere in the universe.

20 amino acids found on asteroid Bennu sample.

Could life come from other planets?

The discovery from Hayabusa2 raises the question of whether life on Earth could have come from other planets. One theory is that life may have formed on a distant planet and then been brought to Earth via asteroids or comets. Although this is just a theory and has not been fully confirmed, it opens up a new direction for research into the origin of life.

The possibility of extraterrestrial life

While the elements necessary for life can be found on asteroids, a more complex environment is needed for life to actually form. Asteroids have only certain conditions and do not have all the elements necessary to sustain life. The question of whether there is life beyond Earth is still unanswered. Some scientists believe that life may exist elsewhere in the universe, while others believe that Earth is a special case.

Missions to search for extraterrestrial life

Countries around the world are constantly conducting space exploration missions to search for life beyond Earth. The US has sent the Perseverance probe to Mars, while China is also conducting its own exploration. However, so far, there are no clear signs of the existence of life on other planets.

New research reports from Japan have proposed a remarkable hypothesis: life on Earth may have originated on other planets. If true, this hypothesis would change the way we think about Earth's place in the universe and the origin of life.

Could life on Earth have originated on other planets?

The universe is vast, and life on Earth is just a small part of that vast space. Earth may be a special planet, or it may be just one of many planets with conditions suitable for life. As technology advances, scientists will continue to explore and gradually reveal the mysteries of the origin of life, not only on Earth but also on other planets in the universe.

The search for the origin of life is a long journey that requires patience and constant innovation in science. Only when we understand life and the universe better can big questions like whether life actually exists elsewhere be answered.