Lighting striking the surface of planet Earth billions of years ago may have unlocked the phosphorus necessary for the creation of DNA, cells and bones, a new study has revealed.
Researchers at Yale and the University of Leeds say the essential spark may have taken a quintillion - a number with 30 zeroes - lightning strikes over a billion years.
They say these 'bolts from the blue unlocked the phosphorus necessary for the creation of biomolecules that would be the basis of life on the planet.'
Phosphorus is a key ingredient necessary for the formation of life - but it was not easily accessible on Earth billions of years ago, locked inside minerals.