If Venus hosts lifeforms in its toxic clouds, they likely won't be deprived of amino acids, one of the essential building blocks of life (as we know it). At least, that's what scientists say is the result of a new lab experiment.
Despite being Earth's "twin," Venus sizzles at temperatures reaching hundreds of degrees and is blanketed by clouds made of corrosive sulfuric acid, a colorless, carcinogenic liquid that dissolves metals, erodes our teeth and irritates our eyes, noses and throats. As such, the rocky planet isn't considered to be much of a habitat for living organisms; it's definitely not as welcoming as Mars, Jupiter's icy moon Europa or Saturn's Enceladus seem to be. However, scientists suspect that any life that might have emerged in Venus' hellish environment could be found wafting in its noxious clouds, which are cooler than the planet's surface and could thus support some kinds of extreme lifeforms.
