The Origins of Life: A Volcanic and Meteoric Mix

Iron particles from meteorites or volcanic ash could have acted as catalysts for the chemical reactions that formed the building blocks of life on Earth over four billion years ago, according to a new study. The experiments showed how iron could have converted carbon dioxide and hydrogen in the early Earth's atmosphere into hydrocarbons, including acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, which are among the building blocks of fatty acids, DNA nucleobases, sugars and amino acids. The findings widen the range of possibilities for how life may have formed on Earth and possibly increase the chances of it having formed elsewhere in the universe.