NASA revealed that cell-like compartments, known as vesicles, could form naturally in the lakes of Saturn's moon Titan. The lakes on Saturn's largest moon are filled with liquid hydrocarbons like ethane and methane. These vesicles are vital for the development of protocells, which are simple structures that can support chemical reactions.
Titan's environment is different from Earth's as it has extremely low temperatures and a thick atmosphere, containing nitrogen and methane. Scientists believe that it could allow the formation of life forms that are distinct from those on Earth.
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According to research published on July 10 in the journal International Journal of Astrobiology, the formation of vesicles on Titan is thought to occur through the interaction of amphiphiles, which are molecules that have both "methane-loving" and "methane-avoiding" properties. These molecules can form bilayer structures that resemble cell membranes.
"The existence of any vesicles on Titan would demonstrate an increase in order and complexity, which are conditions necessary for the origin of life," Conor Nixon of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said in a statement.
"We're excited about these new ideas because they can open up new directions in Titan research and may change how we search for life on Titan in the future."
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Scientists believe that vesicles might form on Titan when methane raindrops splash onto the surface of lakes and seas, creating a mist of droplets coated in amphiphiles. These droplets can then settle back onto the lake and form vesicles.
The research could open up new directions in the search for life beyond Earth. If life can form in Titan's hydrocarbon lakes, it might be possible that life exists elsewhere in the universe under different environmental conditions.
NASA's mission for the Saturn moon Titan
The upcoming Dragonfly rotorcraft is NASA's first mission to Titan. The mission's focus is to explore the surface of the Saturnian moon, study the surface composition, make atmospheric and geophysical measurements, and also characterise its habitability. Titan's lakes and seas are not a destination for Dragonfly.
