Greenbelt – Scientists are at the verge of concluding that Mars can host life as a result of the presence of Nitrogen in it which was detected for the first time by NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars in the form of nitric oxide. This adds to more shock of what the scientists are already experiencing as a result of its one-by-one revolution.
There is a lot of speculation from the researchers that this nitric acid is the product used to decompose nitrates in the planet a theory that was reached after the heating of the collected samples. According to one of the scientists “the samples which were collected from three sites had more nitrogen than what could be accounted from the known terrestrial sources.”
The scientist went further to explain the significance of their findings by stating that for synthesis of crucial biomolecules, terrestrial life requires a fixed form of nitrogen. Hence the discovery of this indigenous fixed nitrogen and its sediments may have a consequence on the previous habitability potential of Mars.
However while it’s well known that Nitrogen is essential element to any form of life,NASA was quick to clarify that no evidence has been gathered as yet that would give dictate the creation of life by the fixed nitrogen molecules.
Nitrogen carries the genetic information for life for the known fact that it is building block of DNA and RNA. This is besides its other role of bonding the proteins that make up certain body arts like hair and nails.
The NASA team has this thinking that the nitrates are of ancient times and must have come from a non – biological process the likes of meteorite impacts.
The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite that was used for this discovery was built with substantial elements that were provided by industry, university, both national and international NASA partners. French Space Agency (CNES) came in with the funding of the project.