Biology Name

Miller-Urey Experiment

http://bcs.whfreeman.com/WebPub/Biology/hillis1e/Animated%20Tutorials/at0203/at_0203_syn_prebiotic_mol.html

1) The following is an illustration of the experiment conducted in the 1950’s by Stanley Miller and Harold Urey:

1) The apparatus above was meant to simulate the conditions of primitive Earth. Describe what each lettered part in the apparatus above represents.

A - Flask with boiling water ______

______

B - Flask with Gasses and Electrical connections ______

______

C - Cold Water collar ______

______

D - Liquid moving down in inside of the collar ______

______

E -Water trap______

______

2) What types of materials were collected in the trap? ______

______

3) The above apparatus was called a closed system because it was closed to the air in the lab room.

Why was this necessary? ______

______

______


Lab Report - The Miller Experiment

http://www.wiley.com/college/trefil/0470118547/vdl/lab_miller_experiment/

Answer the following questions about the results of this activity. Record your answers in the boxes.

Activity 1

Record your data from Activity 1 in the boxes below. Enter the atmospheric gas added to the apparatus (ammonia, hydrogen, methane, oxygen, carbon dioxide) and the organic molecules that were produced in the appropriate columns for each trial.

Trial / Atmosphere Added to Apparatus / Organic Molecules Formed
1
2

1.  Explain the results from trial 1 in which all of the conditions proposed by Oparin and Haldane were met in the Miller-Urey apparatus.

2.  Describe the results for Trial 2. Explain how the lack of methane affected the formation of the organic molecules.

Activity 2

Record your data from Activity 2 in the boxes below. Enter the atmospheric gas added to the apparatus (ammonia, hydrogen, methane, oxygen, carbon dioxide) and the organic molecules formed in the appropriate columns for each trial.

Trial / Atmosphere Added to Apparatus / Organic Molecules Formed
3

1.  Describe the results for Trial 3. Explain how oxygen affected the formation of the organic molecules.

2.  From the results of Trial 3, explain the probability of organic molecules forming in modern Earth's atmosphere.

Activity 3

Record your data from Activity 2 in the boxes below. Enter the atmospheric gas added to the apparatus (ammonia, hydrogen, methane, oxygen, carbon dioxide) and the organic molecules formed in the appropriate columns for each trial.

Trial / Atmosphere Added to Apparatus / Organic Molecules Formed
4

1.  Compare the composition of the original atmosphere used in the Miller-Urey experiment with the atmosphere used in this activity.

2.  Explain the role of carbon dioxide in producing the results of this trial.