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Origin of life experiments by Miller, Urey, and others (Miller-Urey Experiments) involved circulating a mixture of simple gases (a simulated reducing atmosphere) past an energy source such as a spark in an enclosed glass apparatus.

The results of these experiments showed that...

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CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER

Origin of life experiments by Miller, Urey, and others (Miller-Urey Experiments) involved circulating a mixture of simple gases (a simulated reducing atmosphere) past an energy source such as a spark in an enclosed glass apparatus.

The results of these experiments showed that...

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The prompt presents the Miller–Urey origin-of-life experiments question and asks which result was demonstrated by those experiments.
Option 1: 'amino acids and nucleotides could assemble from inorganic (non-living) molecules.' This is the core finding of Miller–Urey-type experiments: establishing that organic molecules essential for life, such as amino acids and nucleotide bases, can form from a mixture of inorganic gases under energy input, simulating early Earth conditions. This accurately reflects the historical result and concepts of abiogenesis research.
Option 2: 'cells could be assembled from inorganic (non-living) molecules.' The Miller–Urey experiments did not produce fully formed cells or cellular structures. They produced simple organic molecules, not membranes, organelles, or complete cells. This makes this statement incorrect as a summary of the experiment’s outcome.
Option 3: 'DNA was the original hereditary molecule.' While DNA is a hereditary molecule in modern life, the Miller–Urey experiments did not address DNA or identify it as the original genetic material. This claim goes beyond the experiment’s scope and is not supported by their results.
Option 4: 'photosynthesis was essential for the formation of life.' The experiments explored abiotic synthesis under reducing conditions, not the biological process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a later biological mechanism; the Miller–Urey setup did not demonstrate its necessity for abiogenesis.
Option 5: 'for life to form, there had to be high levels of oxygen in the atmosphere.' In fact, the classic Miller–Urey setup used a reducing atmosphere with little or no oxygen, since oxygen would react with and inhibit the synthesis of reduced organic molecules. Therefore, this statement is incorrect in describing the experiment’s conditions and conclusions.

BIOL 1001 (001-013) Exam 3: Unit 3

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