Professor Nigel Mason
discusses in his paper the chemical origins of life, covering the synthesis of
nucleobases and DNA. Included in this also are the historical experiments, such
as Urey-Miller, and examines the chemistry of prebiotic types in conditions
similar to those prevailing on early Earth. This note covers important results
with regard to the question of life on Mars: investigations about meteorites
from Mars and ozone formation and depletion. It is an interesting overview of
astrochemical processes that could well have led to the origin of life on Earth
and elsewhere in the universe, founded on a blend of experimental data and
theoretical insights.
The review by Duncan V. Mifsud
and other authors points at the role which sulfur plays in the special world of
astrochemistry as an element of paramount importance to biological systems and
planetary geology. A pdf of laboratory studies involving sulfur-bearing
molecules include spectroscopy and results from experiments on thermal and
photochemical processing. Charged particle bombardment and radiolysis of sulfur
ice analogues are discussed for a better understanding of the behavior of sulfur
in extraterrestrial environments. The current document concludes with proposed
further research directions and continues to highlight the importance of sulfur
in astrochemical processes.
Author(s): Duncan V. Mifsud,
Zuzana Kanuchova, Péter Herczku, Sergio Ioppolo
Professor Nigel Mason
discusses in his paper the chemical origins of life, covering the synthesis of
nucleobases and DNA. Included in this also are the historical experiments, such
as Urey-Miller, and examines the chemistry of prebiotic types in conditions
similar to those prevailing on early Earth. This note covers important results
with regard to the question of life on Mars: investigations about meteorites
from Mars and ozone formation and depletion. It is an interesting overview of
astrochemical processes that could well have led to the origin of life on Earth
and elsewhere in the universe, founded on a blend of experimental data and
theoretical insights.