"maybe the physics involved in the impact with the atmosphere where the responsibles for the creation of those nucleobases, and maybe those nucleobases couldn't be found in meteors."

"It's known that carbonaceous chondrite material, plus water, plus high velocity impact, can 'fuse' amino acids into polymers/proteins."

Hi Leo - those are interesting thoughts for a separate experiments.

In this case, the impact with / passage through the atmosphere would likely not effect the formation of nucleotide bases. The reason (in this case) is because: to prevent contamination with terrestrial sources, virgin material is highly likely being tested from the interior of the meteorites in the study. In the case of carbonaceous chondrites, that material's temperature will not exceed the freezing temperature (0 C = 32 F), until it starts warming up in the Sun on the ground (and in parts of Antarctica, maybe never). Also the energy for that caseis minimal since it is the free fall velocity only - for the meteorites tested.

As for the "fusion" of amino acids to produce proteins during impact - I hadn't heard of that. I just googled it and this paper showed up which attempted to 'simulate' impacts and concluded that the peptide chains are not formed, but rather cleaved, and some of the amino acids were changed or decomposed:

"The fate of amino acids during simulated meteoritic impact"
Bertrand M, van der Gaast S, Vilas F, Hörz F, Haynes G, Chabin A, Brack A, Westall F.

Abstract: Delivery of prebiotic molecules, such as amino acids and peptides, in meteoritic/micrometeoritic materials to early Earth during the first 500 million years is considered to be one of the main processes by which the building blocks of life arrived on Earth. In this context, we present a study in which the effects of impact shock on amino acids and a peptide in artificial meteorites composed of saponite clay were investigated. The samples were subjected to pressures ranging from 12-28.9 GPa, which simulated impact velocities of 2.4-5.8 km/s ...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20041747

Any thoughts?

Kindest wishes
Doug





-----Original Message-----
From: Leoncio Cividanes Álvarez <supeind...@hotmail.com>
To: Meteorite list <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Tue, Aug 9, 2011 10:17 am
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] More evidence of building blocks of DNA in meteorites



Well, what I've thinking about this is that the "can" could mean that maybe the physics involved in the impact with the atmosphere where the responsibles for the creation of those nucleobases, and maybe those nucleobases couldn't be found in meteors. It's known that carbonaceous chondrite material, plus water, plus
high velocity impact, can 'fuse' amino acids into polymers/proteins.

It's just a personal thought...

Best regards,
Leo

----------------------------------------
To: magbi...@lowcountry.com; meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2011 01:58:28 -0400
From: mexicod...@aim.com
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] More evidence of building blocks of DNA
in
meteorites

"NASA Research Shows DNA Building Blocks Can Be Made in Space "

Something about the title of the PR seems strange. If they found some
DNA/RNA nucleotide bases, then it's not "can be made in space", it is
"are made in space". If they didn't find any, then we are still with
the "all the ingredients" are present, something which was already
shown.

Is the question "Did it happen here, under Miller-Urey type
conditions?", or "Was the meteorite delivered from the Acme
Corporation
in Fairfield, Mars, to Wile E. Coyote (Roadrunner cartoon character),
"unpack carefully, to replicate life, just add water - Acme Inc."

e.g., http://home.roadrunner.com/~tuco/looney/acme/dehydrated.html

Kindest wishes
Doug




-----Original Message-----
From: Mal Bishop <magbi...@lowcountry.com>
To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
Sent: Mon, Aug 8, 2011 9:15 pm
Subject: [meteorite-list] More evidence of building blocks of DNA in
meteorites


Found this of interest:

NASA Research Shows DNA Building Blocks Can Be Made in Space

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2011/11-60AR.html

Mal

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