Work

Possibilities for Methanogenic and Acetogenic Life in Molecular Clouds

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: According to panspermia, life on Earth may have originated from life forms transported through space from elsewhere. These life forms could have passed through molecular clouds, where the process of methanogenesis could have provided enough energy to sustain living organisms. In this study, we calculate the Gibbs free energy released from synthesizing hydrocarbons for methanogenic (acetogenic) life in a molecular cloud, with methane (acetic acid) as the final metabolic product. Our calculations demonstrate that the chemical reactions during methanogenesis can release enough free energy to support living organisms. The methanogenic life may have served as the predecessor of life on Earth, and there is some preliminary evidence from various molecular biology studies to support this idea. Furthermore, we propose a potential distinguishing signal to test our model.

Source: Life

DOI: 10.3390/life14111364

Author: Lei Feng

Institutions: University of Science and Technology of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Purple Mountain Observatory, Nanjing University

Language: English

Topic: Origins and Evolution of Life

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,955

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Youth Innovation Promotion Association