Life 'Not as We Know It' May Thrive on Saturn's Moon, Titan

Saturn's moon, Titan, may just support life like we've never seen before. Scientists have found that it may be possible that a new type of methane-based, oxygen-free life form that can metabolize similar to life on Earth could exist on the moon.

The researchers created a model of the proposed life form. The theorized cell membrane would be composed of small organic nitrogen compounds and be capable at functioning at liquid methane temperatures, which is 292 degrees below zero.

On Titan, there are vast swathes of methane-ethane seas. Although life as we know it on Earth would not be able to exist on the world, life specially adapted to the region may just be possible.

"We're not biologists and we're not astronomers, but we had the right tools," said Paulette Clancy, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Perhaps it helped, because we didn't come in with any preconceptions about what should be in a membrane and what shouldn't. We just worked with the compounds that we knew were there and asked, 'If this was your palette, what can you make out of that?'"

The theorized cell membrane was named the azotosome, which is made up of nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen molecules known to exist in the cryogenic seas on Titan. The proposed membrane is just as stable and flexible as Earth's analogous liposome.

The findings reveal that life "not as we know it" may just be possible on Titan. That said, this is all just theoretical. With missions to Saturn's moon, scientists may be able to eventually test whether or not there is life on Saturn's moon's surface.

The findings are published in the journal Science Advances.

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