The Role of Analytical Procedures in the Formation of Biochemicals From Experiments Simulating the Chemical Evolution of Primeval Earth

Abstract

The organic products formed during and at the end of CERES experiments simulating globally the Chemical Evolution of Reactions under Energy Supply on primeval Earth of reducing atmospheres in the presence of condensed water were separated and analysed by rapid ion exchange chromatography without or with previous hydrolysis.

Only small amounts of aminoacids were detected even after more than 100 hours of evolution in solutions heated at 65°C. These quantities of aminoacids were substantially increased by preliminary long hydrolyses with hot concentrated acid. These results confirm that in previously reported experiments, biochemicals were formed mainly during the drastic analytical procedures which followed the simulation experiment proper of the primitive chemical evolution on earth. During these experiments only soluble precursors of these biochemicals were present.