Short Answer
Medium difficulty • Direct answer format
Question 1
Quick RecallWhat was the significance of Miller's experiment in understanding the origin of life?
- Miller created conditions similar to early earth — electric discharge in a flask containing CH4, H2, NH3 and water vapour at 800°C — and observed the formation of amino acids.
- The experiment provided experimental evidence in support of Oparin and Haldane's hypothesis of chemical evolution, showing that organic molecules can form from inorganic precursors.
- Analysis of meteorite content also revealed similar organic compounds, suggesting such chemical processes occur elsewhere in the universe, further supporting the chemical origin of life.