Why is Titan, one of Saturn’s moon a massive candidate for pre-biotic molecules? Choose one answer.

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Starting with the overall topic: Titan as a candidate for pre-biotic molecules relates to its atmospheric and surface chemistry.
Option 1: 'Researchers have discovered oxygen there' — This statement is inaccurate for Titan. Titan’s atmosphere is primarily nitrogen with methane and trace hydrocarbons; it is not known for abundant free oxygen gas, so this claim misrepresents Titan’s redox chemistry.
Option 2: 'The reducing atmosphere resembles that of early earth' — This is the key idea. Titan’s atmosphere is reducing (methane-rich, lacking oxygen), which is thought to be analogous in certain respects to the hypothesized reducing conditions of the early Earth. Such reducing conditions favor synthesis of complex organic molecules, making Titan a compelling prebiotic analog. The wording captures the core concept: reducing conditions conducive to organic chemistry.
Option 3: 'The Cassini probe discovered small organic molecules there' — While Cassini did detect a richness of complex organics in Titan’s atmosphere and on its surface, the statement as written is ambiguous and not the primary reason Titan is highlighted as a prebiotic candidate. The mere presence of organics is not sufficient by itself to claim Titan as a massive candidate; the context is the overall reducing environment that could drive synthesis of prebiotic compounds.
Option 4: 'Researchers have found liquid water there' — This is not correct. Titan currently has surface lakes of liquid methane and ethane, not liquid water. The presence of water would be a different factor, but the established point about Titan’s prebiotic relevance centers on its organic chemistry under reducing conditions rather than liquid water.
Thus, the reasoning points toward the notion that Titan’s reducing atmosphere mirrors early Earth-like conditions, which is the central justification for considering Titan a strong prebiotic candidate, rather than oxygen-rich chemistry, isolated organics, or liquid water evidence alone.

My LMS Subjects Quiz Topic 4: Life on Mars

Why is Titan, one of Saturn’s moon a massive candidate for pre-biotic molecules? Choose one answer.

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