JacksMars: March 2020

The Martian Mystery

Mars is a barren wasteland now, but once upon a time it had the conditions to host life, according to a recent study.

A team of researchers discovered through several experiments that the Red Planet once had an environment that could have permitted the formation of RNA molecules, Science Alert reported.

Molecules of RNA – or ribonucleic acid – are single-stranded and are capable of self-replicating, storing genetic information and catalyzing cellular chemical reactions.

Scientists based their Mars study on the “RNA world” hypothesis, a widely accepted theory that suggests that RNA came before the double-stranded DNA, where genetic information is predominantly stored.

RNA can form if a planet fulfills certain geochemical conditions, such as having waters with metals and the right acidity level.

Because the team couldn’t physically study Mars, they replicated the geochemical conditions of the planet four billion years ago.

Researchers created solutions of several metals seen in Martian soil – iron, magnesium and manganese – and various acidities seen on Mars. They then soaked RNA molecules in the solutions to see how long it took them to degrade.

The results showed that RNA was most stable in slightly acidic solutions with high concentrations of magnesium ions, conditions that could have existed in Martian volcanic basalts.

While the study doesn’t conclusively prove that RNA developed on Mars, it’s certainly an interesting hypothesis about the planet’s evolutionary path.