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Re: DNA question/answer
- To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
- Subject: Re: DNA question/answer
- From: horemart@ba.isu.edu
- Date: Sat, 24 May 1997 21:04:56 -0600 (MDT)
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Joel,
Although I don't have the source handy, I have read somewhere that the other
two bases of DNA have also been identified in Murchison. They are Thymine
and Cytosine. However, the presence of these compounds in no way is the same
thing as finding DNA, or even anything considered "biological." For those
rusty in your biochemistry, there are 4 bases in DNA, adenine, guanine,
cytosine, and thymine. During translation of the DNA to make proteins
through the use of RNA, the DNA bases of A, G, and C are also parts of RNA,
but the base T is not, and uracil replaces it. Thus, RNA's bases are AGUC,
while DNA's are AGTC.
On the other hand, I've heard that PAHs (polycyclic aeromatic hydrocarbons),
like those discovered on ALH84001,have been found on Murchison. I asked one
of the "Life on Mars" team members about this, but he said no, but they had
not really looked for it either. Another astronomer told me that the "team"
was not interested in non-Antarctic specimens for various (political?)
reasons. Does anyone else know more about this?
-Martin
>Adenine, guanine and uracil have been found.
>
>Joel Schiff
>
>