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Question
Which of the following did Stanley Miller place in his experimental system to show that organic molecules could have arisen from inorganic molecules on the primitive Earth?
Options
Primitive gases
Microspheres
Purines and pyrimidines
All of the above.
Only RNA
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Solution
Primitive gases
Explanation:
Miller and Urey recreated the probable conditions of the primitive Earth’s atmosphere by mixing gases such as hydrogen, methane, ammonia, and water vapor in a closed apparatus. They simulated energy input through electric sparks to mimic lightning, which resulted in the abiotic synthesis of organic molecules like amino acids. It was the mixture of these primitive gases, not already formed complex molecules like purines or microspheres, that was central to the experiment’s success in demonstrating the abiotic origin of biomolecules.
