Curiosity has found evidence of nitrogen on mars. It has drilled into Martian rocks to find any traces of nitrates, nitrogen compounds that can be used by living organisms.

Curiosity is currently at the foot of Mount Sharp.

This mountain is formed of sedimentary layers and it is 5500 meters high.

Jennifer Stern of NASA’s Goddard space Flight Center said, “Finding a biochemically accessible form of nitrogen is more support for the ancient Martian environment at Gale Crater being habitable”

The team has also found evidence of other essential compounds needed for life such as organic matter, liquid water, from Gale crater, making us assume that these elements once existed.

Nitrogen is the building block of DNA and RNA, it very essential for existence of life.

The team also says that the there is no evidence which suggests that the fixed nitrogen molecules found by the curiosity were created by life.

The team also suggests that the nitrogen compounds are ancient and may be they have come from lightening, meteorite impact and other non-biological processes.

They also say that the surface of mars is inhospitable for known forms of life.

On Mars and Earth nitrogen is found in the form of nitrogen dioxide gas.

This gas is not reactive with other molecules as the nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the gas are tightly locked together and scientist say that nitrogen atoms must be fixed or separated in order to react with other molecules or chemical reactions needed for life.

Scientists say, “On Earth, certain organisms are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen and this process is critical for metabolic activity, however, smaller amounts of nitrogen are also fixed by energetic events like lightning strikes.”

Curiosity detected methane emissions near the Martian surface on December, but scientist don’t know the source of its emission.

Scientists are expecting to find compounds and elements which suggest that there was life supporting system and life existed on mars in the past.