A new theory on the origin of life on Earth

Scientists have predicted that the collision that took place on the Earth 4.4 billion years ago and led to the formation of the moon could take away elements of life on our planet.

According to a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, scientists said the collision could have saturated our planet with the elements of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur necessary for the formation of life.

Before this collision, the Earth was the same size as Mars, with a core and a mantle (the middle layer between the core and the outer crust) and its distant part was poor in volatile elements such as nitrogen, carbon and sulfur.

The elements of the layer call Silicate Earth and may overlap but can not interact with the elements of the Earth's core.

According to the Space report on the subject, some of the volatile elements were present in the dough, but could not penetrate the outer layers until this collision occurred.

A theory that explains the presence of volatile elements in the noncentral layer says that meteorites collided with the Earth and transported these elements.

But the new study revealed that something weakening this likelihood – the carbon / nitrogen ratio in these meteorites – is different from the relationship between them in the non-core class, according to study author Damnefre Greewal, a global scientist with Rice University in Texas.

Researchers have investigated the possibility of another planet causing this eventuality and said that the Earth may have encountered different types of planets and could be one of the reasons for the existence of these elements. .

In the laboratory, the team was able to test the possibility of a change in the chemical composition of the earth during the collision.

The researchers simulated deep planning conditions and investigated what could happen if different amounts of volatile sulfur were introduced early in life on Earth.

"If the mineral core of a rocky planet is rich in sulfur, carbon is extracted from the pulp at a faster rate than nitrogen," he said. "If a sulfur-rich body enters the Earth, it leaves a large proportion of carbon per nitrogen." It is known that the carbon / nitrogen ratio in the non-core layer is 40 to one.

"Experience has shown that" the effect of a rocky planet was necessary to provide the unique combination of the elements necessary for life on Earth, the only viable planet, "said the chief investigator from Motherbord.

The study indicates that this study, in addition to giving us a better picture of ourselves and our planet, could help scientists search for extraterrestrial life elsewhere in the universe.