EASC 108 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Carbonaceous Chondrite, Murchison Meteorite, Spark Chamber
5 Apr 2017
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Document Summary
The puzzle of life: how inanimate chemicals available on early earth led to complex life forms. First step: creation of complex organic molecules amino acids from more simple inorganic compounds. Organic" not necessarily = life: organic molecules are any carbon molecules other than a very few simple ones. What chemicals would be available on the early earth: volatile ice species containing c, h, n and o in various combinations, likely delivered to earth via planetesimal impacts, nb. 1953 (same year as watson & crick: dna helix structure) miller & urey mixed , and o to simulate possible composition of the early earth"s oceans. Heated mixture to vaporize gases, then passed through a spark chamber, simulating lightning discharges. Any reaction products were condensed & collected for analysis. After 1 week, resulting condensate showed huge variety of compounds: 10-15% of carbon formed organic compounds, 2% formed amino acids.
