Genes From Space?

It’s like buses, no posts for a week and then three come along at once. I found this article interesting. We have known for some time that molecules essential for life are found in space. This report demonstrates that they can be delivered to earth by meteorites. By analysing the isotopes of Carbon found in organic compounds “contaminating” a meteorite found in the Murchison meteorite, it has been shown that Xanthine and Uracil of extra terrestrial origin can survive delivery to earth.

These molecules are examples of purines and pyrimidines: molecules essential for our genetic codes. In fact, Uracil is found in RNA – which some viruses use as their genetic material. One theory of abiogenesis proposes that RNA was the original genetic material and that DNA took over at a later date.


Uracil itself can be transformed into Cytosine by a simple methylation reaction (figure 1) and Xanthine can be converted to Guanine by a simple amido substitution.

Interestingly purines all contain a pyrimidine ring (Figure 2) so purines are possible pyrimidine derivatives.

This one piece of evidence alone is more than all creationism has for the magic sky fairy.