A study published in the journal Nature Communications highlights the importance of the ocean in supporting life without the need for specific environmental conditions.
Seawater – Essential for Life
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Cape Town may have uncovered the mystery of how phosphorus became an essential component of life on Earth by recreating prehistoric seawater containing this element in the laboratory.
The team’s findings indicate that ancient seawater could have contained phosphorus concentrations (Chemical formula: PO4) up to 1,000-10,000 times higher than previously thought, as long as the water contained iron components.
This is even considered a source of phosphorus in sufficient quantities to support life without requiring specific environmental conditions.
Phosphorus is known to be a crucial component of DNA and RNA—the building blocks of life. Despite this, it is one of the least abundant elements in the universe, especially compared to its biological significance.
Scientists have long believed that phosphorus plays a significant role in biological processes, but only recently have they begun to recognize the role of phosphate in facilitating the synthesis of molecules necessary for life on Earth.
In other words, phosphorus can indeed be considered the origin of life.
“It is fascinating to see how simple laboratory experiments can overturn our understanding of the conditions that existed on early Earth,” said Matthew Brady, a representative of the research team.
Paving the Way for the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
If phosphorus is the origin of life, then iron is the “catalyst” that helps introduce more phosphorus into the solution. This is the conclusion of researchers after examining water bodies containing sediment deposits in the Baltic Sea.
They suggest that iron could retain a significant amount of phosphorus before crystals formed and minerals separated from the liquid.
This discovery not only opens up new insights into ancient Earth but may also relate to early Mars.
Evidence of water on ancient Mars included riverbeds and sediment layers left behind after floods. Additionally, we know that there is a substantial amount of iron on the surface and in the atmosphere of Mars.
Based on simulations of water formation and the Martian surface, researchers hypothesize that iron-rich water could also provide phosphorus in this environment, similar to Earth.
This knowledge will be invaluable for scientists as they continue their journey to explore the formation of water and even the possibility of life that once existed on the Red Planet.
