The chemical building blocks of DNA can form spontaneously in the vacuum of space
Analysis of the asteroid Ryugu has revealed that all five essential building blocks of DNA and RNA can form naturally in the vacuum of space, suggesting life's precursors originated among the stars.
Samples returned from the asteroid Ryugu contain adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil, the five chemical letters used to write the genetic code of all known life. This discovery proves that these complex organic molecules do not require a biological host to form. Instead, they can synthesize spontaneously in the harsh radiation and extreme vacuum of deep space over billions of years.
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