The Miller and Urey Experiment
Miller and Urey were two scientists who were able to create an environment where amino acids prospered with nothing more than some gases, an electric current, and some heat.
While the experiment does not hold up to what current scientists believe was the true nature of the early Earth, it did plant the seed for a new way to look at how life formed. Millers experiment shows that organic compounds and amino acids have the potential to be made out of material that was present on prebiotic Earth and in outer space. And other scientist have been able to prove that amino acids could be made out of the CO, CO2, and N2 that is now believed to be the major composition of early Earth as long as no oxygen is present . Miller led to the understanding that producing amino acids is much easier than first thought.
While the methods may not have used the right gases without them, scientists may still not be exploring this avenue of thought.
While the experiment does not hold up to what current scientists believe was the true nature of the early Earth, it did plant the seed for a new way to look at how life formed. Millers experiment shows that organic compounds and amino acids have the potential to be made out of material that was present on prebiotic Earth and in outer space. And other scientist have been able to prove that amino acids could be made out of the CO, CO2, and N2 that is now believed to be the major composition of early Earth as long as no oxygen is present . Miller led to the understanding that producing amino acids is much easier than first thought.
While the methods may not have used the right gases without them, scientists may still not be exploring this avenue of thought.