Expert: Dana Krempels, Ph.D. - 2/16/2010

Question
Dr.Krempels, Ph.D.

Hi,  my name is Mark Meckstroth. I am still in high school, but, I have a huge interest in biology. I have been contemplating recently about the origins of life. The well known Urey-Miller experiment created amino acids. However, amino acids aren't alive, they are only one building block of life. This would not make life because other building blocks of life are missing. For example, if I wanted to make a sandwich bread would be a building block, however, bread alone isn't a sandwich. Beyond this fact, the early Earth had no ozone layer which means the intense ultra violet rays would have killed any life on land or in shallow water anyways. Also, in the experiment lightning was simulated. But, if nothing could live at the surface in the first place then the lightning wouldn't have made much of difference. My hypothesis is that amino acids came from meteors which crashed into the ocean. Some parts of these meteors (or meteorites) landed near or on hydrothermal vents. You now have the building blocks of life. The amino acids are the organic compounds, the hydrothermal vents are the energy and the ocean’s water is the water. I realize this probably is completely wrong, but, I thought it might be something. So, what do you think? Thank you for reading my e-mail!

Mark Meckstroth

Answer
Hi, Mark

Your hypothesis is certainly not unreasonable, and there are those who believe that it is possible that macromolecules might have arrived here from extraplanetary sources.  The problem is that this is not possible to test scientifically.  So it may forever remain in the realm of hypothesis unless we find meteors (in space) that harbor macromolecules similar to our own.

You have the future of a good scientist!  Keep up the great work and independent thinking!  :)

Dana