At least that’s what a new study led by senior author Betul Kachar, an astrobiologist, bacteriologist and evolutionary biologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says. What conclusions did scientists draw – read on Men’s 24th

There may be life forms that are unlike those on Earth

Life on Earth is based on fundamentals organic Compounds. These molecules consist of carbon and often contain other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. But scientists have long wondered whether extraterrestrial life could develop based on a different chemistry. For example, researchers have long hypothesized that silicon could underlie biology.

What is the name given to the type of chemical interaction that is key to life on Earth? autocatalysis Autocatalytic reactions are self-sustaining; They can produce molecules that encourage the same reaction to repeat itself.

Life catalyzes the formation of other life. One cell produces two cells, which can become four, and so on. As the number of cells increases, the number and diversity of possible interactions increases accordingly.
Kachar explained.

Therefore, in a new study, scientists looked for autocatalysis beyond organic compounds. They hypothesized that autocatalysis could contribute to abiogenesis, that is, the emergence of life from inanimate matter. Scientists focused on what are called proportioning loops, which can create multiple copies of a molecule. These products can be used as starting materials to repeat these cycles and lead to autocatalysis.

Life could be based on many compounds, even those impossible on Earth / Photo: kjpargeter@freepik

• To find these responses, scientists analyzed more than two centuries of digitized scientific documents written in different languages. And I learned 270 different loops autocatalytic reactions. This suggests that autocatalysis may not be that rare after all, but rather a common feature of many different environments, even those very different from Earth.
• Indeed, most of the 270 cycles described did not use organic compounds. Some focused on elements that are not found in life on Earth or are extremely rare; mercury or the radioactive metal thorium. Some cycles are likely to occur only at extremely high or low temperatures or pressures.
• Researchers have even discovered 4 autocatalytic cycles involving inert gases that very rarely react chemically with other elements. Even if it were like this a relatively inert gas, such as xenon, If it can participate in autocatalysis, there are good reasons to assume that autocatalysis occurs more readily with other elements.

Scientists hope future studies can test this experimentally life’s new cookbook, they created this. And they could lead to the discovery of entirely new examples of complex chemistry operating in conditions where even carbon- or silicon-based cycles are powerless.