MICE EMBRYO DEVELOPED IN SPACE and ANCIENT LAKE ON MARS CONFIRMED

MICE EMBRYO DEVELOPED IN SPACE

A group of Japanese researchers sent frozen mouse embryos to the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2021. After being thawed with special devices and grown in microgravity for four days at 37°C, the embryos were seen to continue to develop normally and develop into blastocysts (the early developmental stage of mammalian embryos). The data recorded from the embryo which was sent back to earth showed that there were no significant changes in their DNA and genes.

The results suggest that mammals can continue their lineage in space. It is planned to transplant the blastocysts into mice in the future. If the mice transplanted with blastocysts give birth normally, it will confirm that the embryos grown in space are indeed problem-free.

The results of the study conducted by Dr. Sayaka Wakayama, and colleagues were published in iScience.

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Are There Remnants of Another Planet Deep In The Earth?

A group of researchers has suggested that deep within the Earth are remnants of a planet that once crashed into the Earth, creating the Moon. The results of the research conducted by Dr. Quin Yuan and colleagues were published in Nature.

The propagation speed of seismic waves within the earth varies depending on the density of the environment in which they are located. Seismic waves travel at lower speeds in denser environments. In the 1980s, two regions the size of continents were identified deep within the Earth where seismic waves moved relatively slowly. These regions (LLVPs), one under Africa and the other under the Pacific Ocean, are thought to be more iron-rich and therefore denser than their surroundings.

A group of researchers from the California Institute of Technology has proposed that an iron-rich planet colliding with Earth in the distant past may have led to the formation of LLVPs. Allegedly, LLVPs emerged when some of the remaining pieces of the planet that were torn apart by the impact of the collision were absorbed by the Earth.

The idea puts forward answers yet another question. One hypothesis about how the Moon formed suggests that a Mars-sized planet collided with the Earth in the distant past. According to this hypothesis, the planet called Theia was torn apart by the impact. The remaining pieces of the planet, along with the pieces that broke off from the Earth, formed the Moon over time. If this hypothesis is correct, you would expect to find traces of Theia's remains in places other than the Moon. However, till today, nothing has been discovered that could be Theia's remains. If the source of the LLVPs is a planet that crashed into Earth, that planet could be Theia. It is also known that the Moon is richer in iron compared to the Earth.

The researchers tested their hypothesis with computer simulations. The results suggest that it is possible for the remnants of a planetary collision with Earth to both create LLVPs and contribute to the formation of the Moon. One of the questions that comes to mind regarding the new hypothesis is why the remaining pieces of Theia did not "blend" into the Earth, which was still in the process of forming at the time, but remained in the form of lumps. The computer simulations that have been made also provide an answer to this question. According to calculations, most of the energy transferred to the Earth during the collision remained in the upper half of the mantle. This prevented the lower parts of the mantle from completely liquefying under the impact of the collision. Thus, it was possible for Theia's remains to remain in the earth's crust.

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Ancient Lake on Mars Confirmed

The Perseverance rover on Mars has been collecting data on the Red Planet's atmosphere and geology since 2021. The Jezero Crater, where the rover landed, was specifically chosen because it is thought to have once been covered by a massive lake.

Perseverance was initially landed inside the crater. As time went by, the vehicle headed towards an area resembling river deltas on Earth, as seen in satellite images. Perseverance has a radar called RIFMAX, which can send signals about 20 meters deep into the ground. The data collected by the radar allows the layers underground to be viewed.

An international research group announced that they have analysed the data sent by Perseverance to Earth and confirmed that there was once a giant lake in the area where Jezero Crater is located today. The results show that the Jezero Crater region experienced two separate periods of sediment accumulation and erosion. The results of the research conducted by Dr. David Paige and his colleagues were published in Science Advances. One of Perseverance's missions is to collect soil and rock samples from the regions it visits. The samples collected by the rover are planned to be returned to Earth in the 2030s. The fact that the area where Perseverance is located was once a wetland increases the hope of finding traces of life in the rock and soil samples collected.