Figure 4.7 Could Biological Molecules Have Been Formed from Chemicals Present in Earth’s Early Atmosphere?

Original Papers: Miller, S. L. 1953. A production of amino acids under possible primitive earth conditions. Science 117: 528–519.

Miller, S. L. and H. C. Urey. 1959. Organic compound synthesis on the primitive earth. Science 130: 245–251.

With an increased understanding of the atmospheric conditions that existed on primitive Earth, the researchers devised an experiment to see if these conditions could lead to the formation of organic molecules.