Figure 2.16 Synthesis of Prebiotic Molecules in an Experimental Atmosphere
Stanley Miller and Nobel laureate Harold Urey conducted an experiment in which they simulated hypothetical conditions thought to be present on early Earth, and then tested for the presence of organic compounds. A number of complex molecules, including amino acids, pyrimidines, and purines, were detected in the system. The generation of these molecules was consistent with the theory of a chemical origin of life on Earth. While the results of this experiment have been reinterpreted and refined over the years, it is considered to be a classic experiment and represents the first foray into experimental research focusing on the origin of life. It is important to note that in order for the Miller–Urey experiment to work, a reducing atmosphere is required. In such an atmosphere, hydrogen is present, but oxygen is absent. Paradoxically, while oxygen is absolutely essential for multicellular, advanced life, it inhibits prebiotic synthesis. Thus, if oxygen were present in the Miller–Urey experiment, the formation of organic compounds would be impossible, and oxygen would destroy any organic material present. Accordingly, scientists have proposed that early Earth had no elemental oxygen, but that it developed an oxidizing atmosphere as primitive life produced oxygen through photosynthesis. Other geological and paleontological evidence, however, suggests that an oxygen-based atmosphere existed on early Earth, and therefore a number of questions regarding the origin of life remain unanswered.
Original Papers
Miller, S. L. 1953. A production of amino acids under possible primitive earth conditions. Science 117: 528–529.
Miller, S. L., and H. C. Urey. 1959. Organic compound synthesis on the primitive earth. Science 130: 245–251.
Links
Analysis of Miller’s experiments decades later:
Johnson A. P., H. J. Cleaves, J. P. Dworkin, D. P. Glavin, A. Lazcano, and J. L. Bada. 2008. The Miller volcanic spark discharge experiment. Science 322: 404.
University of California, San Diego Television: Miller–Urey Experiment
Access Excellence: From Primordial Soup to the Prebiotic Beach
Science Magazine: Perceptions of Science: Prebiotic Soup—Revisiting the Miller Experiment
Kimball’s Biology Pages: The Origin of Life
Astrobiology Magazine: Reflections From a Warm Little Pond