The Search For Extraterrestrial Life Continues: What Components Of Life Have Already Been Discovered In Space?
- 17.08.2026, 11:36
Research suggests that life may exist in the universe.
Over the past few years, scientists have discovered numerous building blocks of life in space: within asteroids, around young stars, and in the interstellar medium. But that doesn’t mean extraterrestrial life definitely exists. Still, these discoveries suggest that life could have originated not only on Earth, writes Live Science.
Scientists refer to molecules similar to those found in living organisms on Earth—including proteins, RNA, and lipids (the molecules that make up cell membranes)—as the building blocks of life.
Astronomers have already detected all five nitrogenous bases of DNA and RNA in the composition of the asteroids Bennu and Ryugu in the Solar System. Benu was also found to contain 14 of the 20 amino acids found in living organisms, while Ryugu was found to contain uracil, which is found in RNA. This suggests that the building blocks of life may have been brought to Earth during its formation as a result of asteroid impacts.
Scientists are searching deeper into space for complex organic molecules containing six or more carbon atoms—the basis of life as we know it. Of the 350 molecules of any type discovered in space, about 180 meet the criteria for complex organic molecules. But not all of them are the building blocks of life.
Among these molecules, there is a group known as prebiotic molecules, which can be considered the precursors of life. In other words, these are the building blocks that could have played a crucial role in the emergence of life anywhere in the universe. About 30 prebiotic molecules have been discovered so far, but research on them is still ongoing.
These molecules are mainly found in molecular clouds in the Milky Way—dense interstellar clouds of gas and dust. Scientists believe that there are likely many more prebiotic molecules in space, and they need to be found. However, their discovery does not mean that extraterrestrial life could have originated somewhere in space, although that possibility cannot be ruled out.
Research shows that the components necessary for life exist in the extreme conditions of space: at very low temperatures and very low pressures. Researchers continue to search for key components of RNA and DNA in space, which could prove that extraterrestrials might indeed exist. At the same time, scientists speculate that the key components for life could have formed even before the birth of stars and planets.