Key Components of DNA and RNA Found in Three Meteorites

Using state-of-the-art analytical techniques, researchers have detected diverse suites of nucleobases — including canonical base pairs (e.g., adenine-uracil, guanine-cytosine, adenine-thymine) and some non-canonical ones (e.g., isoguanine-isocytosine and xanthine-2,4-diaminopyrimidine) — in three carbonaceous meteorites: the Murchison, Murray, and Tagish Lake meteorites. Two types of chemical building blocks, or nucleobases, are needed to form DNA and RNA. […]



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