-
Mirror-Image Clues to Life's Origins
According to an article published in the Washington Post, scientists studying the Murchison meteorite have found that it contains clues to the origin of chirality. Amino acids in nature have two forms, referred to as right- and left-handed, that are mirror images of each other. The proteins in living organisms, however, are only made from left-handed amino acids. The reason for this chirality is not understood, but this new research suggests it may stem from meteorites that rained down on the young Earth.
Source: [Washington Post]
![Recent Articles](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090305061112im_/http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/img/text/hd_recent_mb.gif)
- Emerging Topics in Biogeochemical Cycles (ETBC)
- Finding Earth’s Twin: No Easy Task
- Earthscope – Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Research
- Kepler's Search for "Alien Earths" Covered by CNN
- Evolution of the Modern Nitrogen Cycle
- Alien Safari Part 4: Countdown to Alien Life
- Cycling Nitrogen
- Unlocking the Combination
- Assembling the Tree of Life
- Alien Safari Part 3: Technology Worlds