Biological Organisms Researchers Not Found in Martian Meteorites

Search for biological organisms that form the organic molecules on Mars was originally referring to the data obtained by the Viking mission in 1970. The mission is famous for having discovered the element carbon on the planet.

As quoted from universetoday.com astronomi.us, Thursday (6/21/2012), the latest results obtained by the research team led by Andrew Steele of the Carnegie Institution for Science of the Mars meteorite that formed 4.2 billion years ago, could not find the existence of biological organisms. Meteorites contain carbon molecules which became one of the basic elements of life forming. The team found that after conducting a study of 10 of the 11 Martian meteorites are thorough. But the question arises where the actual origin of organic molecules, what makes these molecules exist?

The team tried to answer this question and try to draw conclusions. Carbon molecules are indeed from Mars and not from cross-contamination of Earth’s Biosphere. They found that the carbon molecules are not created by a biological process. Carbon is formed in a meteorite chunks of rock that fell to Earth. Formation of carbon molecules in the meteorite is a rock of volcanic processes that formed and then trap the carbon in the crystal structure formed by the cooling magma. It is a sequence of non-biological chemical reactions. Organic matter in meteorites is made by the carbon is trapped in the crystals.

Another explanation is revealed by a team of researchers is the possibility of an organic molecule is the result of emissions from microbes that migrated to the volcano through a similar tectonic processes on Earth. But Mars has no tectonic activity such as the Earth so it is unlikely that the molecule is formed by microbial activity.

May seem confusing. But what’s interesting about this study is at 4.2 billion years ago, Mars naturally form complex organic molecules that are likely still going on today.

Meteorite ALH84001 meteorite that became important in this study, in 1996, also known to contain fossils of Mars. The meteorite is flying, and to the Earth caused by the collision Great on Mars about 16 million years ago and fell in Antarctica 13 thousand years ago and found in the Allan Hills, Antarctica.