Titan (Photo : www.sci-tech-today.com)
A recent study shows a step closer to understanding if life could possibly have formed in the methane lakes of Titan, Saturn's biggest moon.
The life that would exist in the surface and lakes of Titan would be far different from the life on Earth. No oxygen is present on Titan, and temperature is so cold at minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit where liquid water would freeze instantly.
However, Titan is the only other body in our solar system that has bodies of water like lakes and oceans on its surface which makes suspicions of possible life forms. It has a complex weather system and a thick atmosphere too, according to Sci-Tech Today.
Conor Nixon, a planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center explained that the methane found in the lakes of Titan has the same role as waters on Earth. Cornell University researchers wanted to find out if it is possible to create some of that basic molecular need of life from the chemistry of this alien body.
The team theoretically claims that on Titan, life forms that are methane-based and oxygen-free cells could possibly survive in this environment. They invented a cell membrane that consisted of nitrogen compound that has the ability to function in liquid methane at a very low temperature.
Cells that are based on methane instead of water have a very low freezing point, should life be a possibility on such temperature, and life based on such cells were possible, then there is a possibility that life could exist in the unthinkable regions of our solar system, Value Walk reported.
