One of the most common questions about Mars is: Can Mars support life as we know it? To answer that question we will find ourselves in the core of chemical reactions that are produced on Earth. Important chemical reactions happen in living organisms because they use gases from our atmosphere. These gases play important role in life: plants consume carbon dioxide to produce glucose, animals take in oxygen to then perform cellular respiration in order to use energy stored in chemical bonds, within other gases that are essential to life, etc.
As of October 2012 the atmosphere of Mars has shown an abundance of five gases measured by Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) is 95.%9 CO2, 2.0% Ar, 1.9% N2, 0.14% O2 and 0.06% CO. As for the Earth atmosphere its compositions is quite different. It is composed of 78% N2, 21% O2, and other gases.
SAM results show an increase of five percent in heavier isotopes of carbon in the atmosphere. These isotopes suggest the loss of lighter due to physical process favoring heavier isotope. This can be significant factor in the evolution of the planet. (NASA Rover Finds clues to changes in Mars’ atmosphere).
The NASA Curiosity mission has focused on the findings of Methane gas and has found an interest to chemical life. On Earth it is produced by biological and non-biological processes. The finding of Methane gases would have given hope to the scientist to be able to find some type of life in Mars
Methane is not an abundant gas in the Gale Crater, where the mission has established to take and analyze sample for its research. Even though the SAM did not show any sign of life in Mars, soon it will start its search for organic compounds.
Chemistry Group: Fernanda Chow, Bianca Chavez, Yaniset Fundora
Resources: • http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2012-348#4 • http://www.space.com/18333-mars-rover-curiosity-methane-measurements.html • http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1388
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