Researchers have identified a type of sugar in interstellar space for the first time, a discovery that could offer new clues about the formation of the molecules that gave rise to life. The compound found is erythrulose, naturally present in fruits such as raspberries and also used in the manufacture of self-tanning products.
Sugar is found in space for the first time and intrigues scientists
Researchers have identified a type of sugar in interstellar space for the first time, a discovery that could offer new clues about the formation of the molecules that gave rise to life. The compound found is...
The identification was made in an extensive gas cloud located near the center of the Milky Way. To detect the substance, the team used observations carried out by two radio telescopes installed in Spain, capable of recognizing the chemical signature of molecules present in the interstellar medium, a region composed of gas and dust between stars.
The results of the study were published this Monday (13) in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy.
Despite being popularly associated with the sweet taste of food, sugars perform essential functions in living beings. They participate in providing energy to cells and integrate important structures, such as DNA. Therefore, understanding how these molecules emerged even before the formation of planets is one of the central questions in astrobiology.
Although erythrulose is not considered essential for living organisms, scientists explain that it can give rise, through chemical reactions, to other molecules identified as fundamental in the initial stages that preceded the emergence of life on Earth.
The discovery reinforces the idea that complex organic compounds can form naturally in the hostile environment of space, even before the birth of stars and planets, expanding the evidence that the ingredients necessary for life may be distributed across different regions of the Universe.
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Source: Noticias ao Minuto - Ultima Hora
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