Recent detection of the sugar glycolaldehyde in the interstellar molecular cloud Sagittarius B2(N) and models of its formation have helped fuel the idea that biologically-relevant organic compounds can form easily in space and can be delivered to Earth or other planets by comets, meteorites, and asteroids. Glycolaldehyde is a useful bio-ingredient because it can polymerize into higher forms of carbohydrates, such as ribose, the sugar that makes up the backbone for RNA, and glucose, the sugar found in plant saps and fruits. Glycolaldehyde is reactive and can form various kinds of complex organic compounds; therefore, it may be an important ingredient for starting life on the early Earth. Its presence in space, while not ubiquitous, is an important clue for understanding the chemical routes that can lead to the formation of other molecules, both simple and complex. Meteorites contain materials coalesced from dense molecular clouds during or prior to formation of the Solar System.
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