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The Existence of Amino Acids in Carbonaceous Chondrites

The Existence of Amino Acids in Carbonaceous Chondrites. Annie Le University of California, Merced. What has been Discovered?. The galaxy is much more complex. CM2 Meteorites carry millions of types of organic compounds. Identification of 92 amino Acids (1,3,5)

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The Existence of Amino Acids in Carbonaceous Chondrites

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  1. The Existence of Amino Acids in Carbonaceous Chondrites Annie Le University of California, Merced

  2. What has been Discovered? • The galaxy is much more complex. • CM2 Meteorites carry millions of types of organic compounds. • Identification of 92 amino Acids (1,3,5) • only 18 amino acids carry Similar structures in biological Proteins (1,3,5).

  3. Arguments • Difficult to believe • The abundance of organic compounds could be the cause of… - terrestrial contamination - a chemical evolution - possible extraterrestrial material that contains “living” properties (1,3,5). • Most believed to be the cause of an exposure or contamination (1,3,4,5).

  4. Possible Clarifications • Early Earth was crucial to the creation of life (6). - CM2 could not have been a returning meteorite from Earth’s Past (1,3). - more to study of CM2 unknown organic components: non-protein amino acids (1,3,4,5). - assumed to be an extraterrestrial material (1,3).

  5. Methods • Small sample of CM2 (crushed-powdered) • Acid hydrolysis (1,2,3,4,5,6) • Ion exchange column (1,3,5) • Perkin – Elmer 900 (top): Gas Chromatography with pyrolysis (1,2,3,4,5,6) *pyrolysis: 430°C -1000°C (2,4) • Perkin-Elmer 850 (bottom): Mass spectrometer (5,6)

  6. Discussion/Results: Amino Acid Analysis • Amino acids found: Alanine, Glycine, Valine, Proline, Leucine, Isoleucine, Aspartic acid and Glutamicacid (1,2,3,4,5). • Results supported past research studies. - Chiral: Small excess of left hand amino acids (1,3,5). • No RNA or DNA found yet (1,2,4). • Identification of several complex compounds: carboxylic acids, hydroxyl carboxylic acids, aromatics (1,5,6)…

  7. Table 1: Cronin and Pizzarello identifies amino acids (1,2,3,5).

  8. Further Research… • A journey in understanding the complexity of space (1,3). • The relationship between us. • Possible life existing somewhere in outer space (6).

  9. Questions/Comments?

  10. References • [1]Cronin, J.R.; Pizzarello, S. Amino acids in Meteorites. Advances in Space Research. 1983. 3:5-18. • [2] Lawless, J.G., Amino Acids in the Murchison Meteorite. Geochimica et CosmochimicaActa. 1973. 37: 2207-2212. • [3] Cronin, J.R., Pizzarello, S, et. al. Amino Acids of the Murchison Meteorite: II. Five Acyclic Primary β-, ϒ- and σ-Amino Alkanoic Acids. Geochimica et CosmochimicaActa. 1985. 49: 2259-2265. • [4] Levy, R.L., Grayson, M.A., et. Al. The Organic Analysis of the Murchison Meteorite. Geochimica et CosmochimicaActa. 1973. 37:467-483. • [5] Pizzarello, S., Cronin, J.R. Non-racemic Amino Acids in the Murray and Murchison Meteorites. Geochimica et CosmochimicaActa. 2000. 64: 329-338. • [6] Glavin, D.P., Matrajt, G., Bada, J.L. Re-examination of amino acids in Antarctic micrometeorites. Advances in Space Research. 2004. 33: 106-113.

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