Why are amino acids said to be the source of life?
Many theories have been presented to explain the origin of life: Some claim that life is of extraterrestrial origin, some believe that life began in the atmosphere, and some hold that the sea is the cradle of life. In all cases, however, amino acids are said to be the source of life. Some meteorites that collided with the earth after a long journey from the remotest corner of the universe contained amino acids. Trace amounts of glycine, alanine, glutamate and alanine were detected in a meteorite that struck Murchison (Australia) in 1969. The amino acids in meteorites are considered to be a trace of life elsewhere in the universe. A trilobite fossil dating back 500 million years was found to contain the amino acid alanine. Science continues its search for an answer to the intriguing mystery of the origin of life by studying the amino acids detected in fossils and meteorites. Amino acids are important substances that create life itself.
