The Miller–Urey experiment simulated conditions in the Earth's early atmosphere. They placed the simulated atmosphere over boiling water and bombarded it with energy to simulate lightning, as shown in the figure below.

What was found in the trap of the Miller–Urey apparatus that supports a hypothesis for the beginning of early life?

Question

The Miller–Urey experiment simulated conditions in the Earth's early atmosphere. They placed the simulated atmosphere over boiling water and bombarded it with energy to simulate lightning, as shown in the figure below.

What was found in the trap of the Miller–Urey apparatus that supports a hypothesis for the beginning of early life?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question describes the Miller–Urey experiment setup, where early-Earth atmospheric components were sparked to simulate lightning and the products were collected in a trap.

In this context, the key finding historically associated with the Miller–Urey experiment is the formation of amino acids in the trap, supporting hypotheses about the origin of life by showing that simple organic molecules could form under early Earth conditions.

However, the provided data includes an empty list for answer_options, so there are no explicit alternative choices to evaluate here. Normally, typical distractors in this kind of question might include compounds like nucleotides, simple hydrocarbons, small inorganic molecules (e.g., methane, ammonia) without organic complexity, or larger biomolecules that are not produced directly in the Miller–Urey setup.

If we had alternative options, we would evaluate each by considering:
- Whether the product logically arises from spark-discharge in a reducing or neutral atmosphere with water vapor, as used in the experiment.
- Whether the product is a simple amino acid or a more complex molecule that would require additional synthesis steps not demonstrated by the setup.
- Whether the choice contradicts the historical interpretation of the experiment’s results.

Since the dataset lists Amino Acids as the correct answer, the reasoning would align with the established result that amino acids are produced under those simulated early-Earth conditions, providing a plausible pathway for the origin of life. If other options were present, we would contrast them with this outcome, explaining why amino acids fit the experimental design and results, while the other choices would not be supported by the Miller–Urey findings.

BIOL_1105_60452_202506 Lesson 24 Homework

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