Stephen Terry
December: Science in the News

Title: Meteorites May Have Sparked Life on Earth
Date of Article: December 17, 2008
Publisher: Society for Science and the Public
Copyright: 2008

In the December 17, 2008 Society for Science and the Public stated that. meteorites may have helped start life on Earth. Large rocks such as meteors moving very fast, may have helped start life on Earth. Geochemist Yoshihiro Furukawa at Tohuku University in Sendai, Japan had an idea of how life started on earth. When rocks such as meteors, crash into oceans they produce a lot of heat and the rocks turn into gas. Scientists did experiments and mixed carbon, iron, and nickel, which are found in meteorites with water, ammonia, and nitrogen, which are found on earth. Then the scientists put these items in canisters and shot them at a target. They wanted to see what was inside of the rocks. After the experiment, the scientists found fatty acids and amino acids in the canisters. These acids are found in cell membranes and proteins. I care about meteorites helping start life on earth because we can use fatty acids and amino acids for our own health.