A Production of Amino Acids Under Possible Primitive Earth Conditions

atmosphere of methane, ammonia, water, and hydrogen instead of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and water was suggested by Oparin (1) and has been-given emphasis recently by Urey (2) and Bernal (3). In order to test this hypothesis, an apparatus was built to circulate CHI4, NH3, H2O, and H2 past an electric discharge. The resulting mixture has been tested for amino acids by paper chromatography. Electrical discharge was used to form free radicals instead of ultraviolet light, because quartz absorbs wavelengths short enough to cause photo-dissociation of the gases. Electrical discharge may have played a significant role in the formation of compounds in the