ASTRO 1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 27: Extremophile, Circumstellar Habitable Zone, Exhalation
Document Summary
27-1 the chemical building blocks of life are found in space. Organic molecules: carbon-based compounds including all the molecules of which living organisms are made. Carbonaceous chondrites: date from the formation of the solar system (contain a variety of carbon-based molecules) Organic molecules do not have to come from living organisms -- they can also be synthesized in nature from simple chemicals. Europa (satellite of jupiter) has an ocean of water beneath its ice surface. Gravitational forces from jupiter and its other large satellites --> flex the interior & generate heat to keep water from freezing. Enceladus (saturn"s moon) has a large interior ocean. Salty water --> salts dissolve in water when the water is in contact with rock. The gas-exchange experiment: detect gases released due to chemical processes involving nutrients. Sample was placed in a sealed container along with a controlled amount of gas and nutrient-rich water --> check for microbial exhalation. Take in radioactive carbon from the gas.
